"This is Me" video health stories are a fun, creative way to share your individual
health experiences and help broaden health awareness and understanding.
"This is Me" stories cover the full spectrum of health on a personal level from outlining
the importance of preparing the mind and body for upcoming procedures, recovery, or activities,
to a person's journey dealing with chronic or life-long health issues, and to daily living while
mindful of a condition or goal using instructional snapshots.
We invite you to tell your health story through video and share your health past, struggles, and successes.
Submit your video and watch all the videos on our
"This is Me" YouTube channel!
"This is Me" also holds an annual video contest and our first was held between April 9th–May 10th, 2010.
It produced more video submissions than expected and the quality of the stories truly humbled and inspired Wellsphere,
the participants, and the audience. Wellsphere was thrilled to award our winners with much deserved prizes that were
designed to give back — a donation to the charity of their choice, and a Flip camera to the Grand Prize winner!
In the
showcase section below, you can meet our winners, hear their stories, and see how their
personal videos went on to benefit health-based organizations.
"This is Me" Video Health Stories Showcase
Keiko shares her experience with infertility and how it impacts her life. She hopes she can erase some of the stigma and silence surrounding infertility, and inspire others to continue to raise awareness about an issue that affects 7.3 million people in the United States alone. She brings viewers along on an infertility sufferer's journey and assures sufferers they are not alone.
"This is Me" Video Health Stories Contest 2010 Grand Prize Winner
Prize: Flip MinoHD Video Camera
Congratulations Keiko!
Kayla has battled with Cystic Fibrosis since birth and finally received a double lung transplant in 2008. Sadly, a year later her lungs rejected them and she is back on the Donors List waiting for another life-changing gift. Each year in the U.S., 100,000 people are added to the Donors List. Listen to Kayla's inspirational story and become a donor today at
www.donatelife.net.
"This is Me" Video Health Stories Contest 2010 Top 3 Winner
Prize: $100 Charity Contribution
Congratulations Kayla!
Jac, now 18, was diagnosed with Chronic Pancreatitis due to an unknown cause as a 10 year old. He has had 11 outbreaks and 4 surgeries. He has received inspiration from the Chronic Pancreatitis community, on Facebook groups, and would love to help and support others get through the disease.
"This is Me" Video Health Stories Contest 2010 Top 3 Winner
Congratulations Jac!
Kate is a sixth year, Stage IV survivor of Glioblastoma, the most aggressive form of cancer. Her prognosis was that she only had a year to live even after brain surgery, yet she continues to beat the odds today. Her inspiration is to help others win against cancer, so she travels across the U.S. giving brain cancer seminars, conferences, TV interviews to give hope to others going through a similar experience.
"This is Me" Video Health Stories Contest 2010 Top 3 Winner
Congratulations Kate!
Joe juggles while running, known as "joggling", which is a sport, meditation, exercise, good laugh and more. His personal record is a November 2009 marathon in which he joggled for 3 hrs 31 mins! He loves the absorption, relaxation, freedom, and the challenge that joggling brings. He feels everyone today is juggling many activities and responsibilities in life, so he takes his juggling act to the road to refresh his body and mind.
"This is Me" Video Health Stories Contest 2010 Top 10 Winner
Congratulations Joe!
Philip shares how he lost over 215 pounds naturally, and transformed and saved his life. At 400 lbs and after over 30 failed diets, raw food rescued him by teaching him how to make amazing meals while fully satisfying his body nutritionally. Through his journey and sharing his raw food knowledge, Philip's made friends the world over while changing every aspect of his life that's created a personal peace he never knew before.
"This is Me" Video Health Stories Contest 2010 Top 10 Winner
Congratulations Philip!
Laurel gives her testimony of living with severe Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. ME/CFS affects the whole body, especially the neurological, endocrine and immune systems. The main symptom is persistent fatigue unrelated to exertion that is not relieved by rest. She came down with CFS at age 24, is bedridden and can only speak a few words above a whisper. She wants people to understand that CFS sufferers are ill, not simply tired.
"This is Me" Video Health Stories Contest 2010 Top 10 Winner
Congratulations Laurel!
Lindsay, daughter of Jackie Roorda
Lindsay was diagnosed with Scoliosis on May 6, 2008. She met with an orthopedic surgeon and was informed that she needed surgery badly, but was told to wait a year. By summer's end, her condition was so severe they booked her surgery for mid-September. She is now able to stand up straight — making her 2 inches taller — and is even able to do a backflip again.
"This is Me" Video Health Stories Contest 2010 Top 10 Winner
Congratulations Lindsay!
Rachel is a very active health blogger, who loves everything that is good for the body. After high school Rachel wanted to lost 75 lbs so she immediately started educating herself about nutrition and shed the weight. Knowing what it's like to be both the odd girl out and the social butterfly allows her to share various weight loss perspectives. She advocates doing research, not necessarily doing what's easy, and being realistic and focused.
"This is Me" Video Health Stories Contest 2010 Top 10 Winner
Congratulations Rachel!
Jennifer shares her struggles and triumphs while living with Polycystic Ovary Disease, which she was diagnosed with at age 26. PCOS causes many cysts in the ovaries that drastically affect a woman's health including causing rapid weight gain. She advocates for awareness as those with PCOS have mood swings and constant tiredness, and are often misdiagnosed as she was.
"This is Me" Video Health Stories Contest 2010 Top 10 Winner
Congratulations Jennifer!
Ashley struggled with Anorexia from age 12 through 18. She didn't feel accepted and didn't feel as skinny or pretty as the other girls in school. Starting in her middle school years through to high school, she lost up to 30 lbs, became severely depressed, and got addicted to laxatives. She recovered by tellng her story to classmates, and draws on that victory for healthy postpartum weight loss.
"This is Me" Video Health Stories Contest 2010 Top 10 Winner
Congratulations Ashley!
Submit Your Video to "This is Me"
Video Guidelines
All health topics are acceptable, whether it's about your healthy lifestyle practices and
routines or your chronic health challenges and conditions. No video experience is needed.
Your video may be as simple as you talking straight into the camera or as complex as a
full-blown production with script and special effects or anything in between.
While the subject and style is up to you, all videos need to follow these guidelines:
- Must be a complete, finished story
- Must be an original work
- Must NOT be more than 5 minutes
- Must NOT use music (submitted videos may be part of a "This is Me" video compilation to which a music track will be added)
- May be narrated
- Must adhere to the YouTube Community Guidelines since all videos are posted and live on our YouTube "This is Me" Channel: http://www.youtube.com/t/community_guidelines
- May be submitted by Wellsphere members and non-members
- May submit more than one video — if you're inspired, go for it!
Video Submission
Step 1:
Make your "This is Me" video story
Step 2:
Upload your video to your YouTube account, then copy the video's YouTube URL and add it to the submission form
Video Story Qualities
We are always looking for health stories of value, whether they be informative, inspirational,
or uniquely creative. Your "This is Me" story should have one or more of the following qualities:
- Original
- Informative
- Valuable
- Useful
- Clear & Cohesive
- Creative & Unique
- Compelling
- Inspirational
- Motivational
- Purposeful tone & Presence
Health Story Ideas
Your "This is Me" video story is whatever you'd like to tell.
Here are some ideas that may help you find your health story:
Medical Regimen
- What treatments have most or least effectively helped you address your health?
- What was the best thing your doctor said to you?
- What was the worst thing your doctor said to you?
- Do you follow a schedule or method of administering prescribed or alternative medication?
- How have you varied your medication or healing since you first started addressing your health?
Relational and Societal Integration
- How has your health journey affected relationships with friends, families, and the public?
- What is the best/worst thing your spouse/partner has said to you?
- What is the best/hardest thing your child(ren) has/have said to you?
- How has this condition affected your social participation?
- How have you improvised participation post-diagnosis in certain activities (ie. sports, traveling, parenting)?
Self-Love and Acceptance
- Who inspired you? How and why?
- How has your outlook been affected as a result of your health journey?
- How have you coped with diagnosis or taken preventative measures against disease?
- How have you learned to accept and appreciate yourself in your health difficulties?
Support
- What advice or encouragement has really helped you on your health journey?
- What would you pass on to someone facing a similar situation to your own?
- What have you discovered on your own, with the help of doctors, or with a support group?
Improvement and Control
- How have you picked yourself up after failing a treatment option or not reaching a short-term health goal?
- How have you dealt with a relapse in your health condition?
- What have been your most celebratory moments or greatest milestones in dealing with your health?
Information Dissemination
- What went through your head when first diagnosed?
- How do you continually gather information about your health?
- What means of health information do you wish for your health that does not yet exist or is difficult to access?
- What types of books, magazines, people, and/or online sources have been most helpful to you?
Video Health Stories
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