On Feb. 9, 2022, Josh Andrews was a featured speaker at the Black Men’s Brain Health Conference, in Los Angeles, CA. The Black Men’s Brain Health Conference brought together a multidisciplinary group of scientists and community leaders to increase representation of Black men in brain science research and reduce brain health disparities among Black men.
As one of the first speakers kicking off the event, Josh Andrews talked about experiencing sleepiness as a busy young athlete starting around age 12. He was eventually diagnosed with narcolepsy at age 26, while playing with the Philadelphia Eagles. Josh talked about adjusting to narcolepsy and working to find balance as an NFL player, husband, and father living with narcolepsy. He spoke about initially feeling embarrassed and isolated after his diagnosis, but how finding the narcolepsy community inspired him to start sharing his story.