On September 22, 2019, CNN Español published an article featuring Rising Voices of Narcolepsy alums Grisel Pantoja (speaker) and Camille P. Cruz Martínez (writer). The article, Primer Día Mundial de la Narcolepsia despierta la conciencia sobre los trastornos del sueño (First World Narcolepsy Day Raises Awareness of Sleep Disorders), raises awareness for the inaugural World Narcolepsy Day and spotlights Camille’s and Grisel’s individual stories, highlighting the unique perspectives and difficulties of being both Latinx and a person with narcolepsy.
The work of our Rising Voices of Narcolepsy writers and speakers extends far beyond articles and presentations. The Rising Voices program trains them to be leaders, empowering them with the tools to use their own stories to raise awareness.
Take a moment to read the article, and please share to raise awareness.
About Camille:
Camille Cruz Martínez is a ceramic artist and singer from Bayamon, Puerto Rico. She has lived with narcolepsy symptoms since since childhood and was diagnosed in 2018. As a Rising Voices of Narcolepsy writer, she is sharing her journey to help raise awareness and hopefully lead others through their own diagnosis process.
More from Camille:
- Painting My Future With Narcolepsy (The Mighty, Yahoo Lifestyles, Yahoo Finance)
- Narcolepsia: Un sueño que no es normal (Narcolepsy: A dream that is not normal) (PrimeraHORA)
About Grisel:
Grisel Pantoja is pursuing a career as a mental health counselor and lives in Florida. She studied Psychology and Education at Florida International University (FIU). In 2016, she was diagnosed with narcolepsy. Now, as a Rising Voices of Narcolepsy speaker, she hopes to impart narcolepsy awareness through sharing her own experience.
More from Grisel:
You can watch Grisel’s full story as part of our Rising Voices of Narcolepsy Video Series:
About Rising Voices of Narcolepsy:
To improve public understanding of narcolepsy, Project Sleep’s Rising Voices of Narcolepsy program trains people with narcolepsy to share their stories through public speaking and writing with local communities, healthcare providers, news outlets, blogs and beyond. Combining the power of real-life stories with expert communication strategies, our Rising Voices of Narcolepsy trained speakers and writers are effectively raising awareness and reducing stigma for all those facing narcolepsy.
Like what you see? Learn about Project Sleep’s Rising Voices of Narcolepsy program and check out more content—including articles, interviews, podcasts, and more—here.
