Devon Simone an African American female Fibromyalgia Warrior hailing from North Carolina, USA. As she fights through life in pain from one of the “invisible” diseases, she is hoping to help others along the way. I find that she is an ally, a friend, a sister, and a warrior just like me. Because Fibromyalgia is defined as a chronic (long-lasting) disorder that causes pain and tenderness throughout the body, as well as fatigue and trouble sleeping. People with the disorder have a heightened sensitivity to pain. Along with fibromyalgia, she has other health conditions and other ailments resulting from flare-ups. However, she has found a way to turn her disability into an ability to empathize with others. Devon (also known as Dee Dee With Disabilities) still presses on to spread awareness about all disabilities.
Her typical day starts with waking up in pain. This is very common for people with the chronic pain that comes with Fibromyalgia. Taking her meds, she gets her dog fed (a 2 yr old jack Russell rat terrier named Galaxy who is admittedly spoiled rotten) and they play for a while. She overloads him with love because he is a rescued dog who has a traumatic past, something she can relate to. Her ankle is swollen today (still) but she handled her phone business. Busy day already but still in pain. And she fixed lunch with the air fryer. Therapy was….therapy. And then she spoke with me.
Dee Dee joined the TikTok community to have a platform to help others since she can no longer work a regular job due to her disability. Before her illness, she worked doing public speaking engagements. She did conferences with the government for GED and adult high school programs, did poetry, and did commercials for literacy and education for the county and the state of North Carolina, She has been recognized in the local newspaper for her work towards literacy and education. When she began to get sick, she didn’t know what was going on. It was during a flare-up that she was completely shocked that she was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia at 35 years old in 2013. She asked her friends and family for prayer and put her faith in GOD. Her mother and sister have it, and so did her grandmother so she knew there would be a long road ahead for her. In 2014 she had major surgery. In 2015 she had to retire from work and in 2016 she began the process of applying for SSDI (Social Security Disability Insurance). It took her three years and an attorney but in 2019 she was finally determined disabled. When the covid pandemic hit, Dee Dee was one who nearly died but survived. She now has Long Covid and is coping with it along with everything else.
Dee Dee continues to spread the word about Fibromyalgia and the struggles she’s had living with it. Her adult sons help to offset some of the struggles she has with being disabled. She interviewed the University of Maryland in hopes of getting more people to understand it. She struggles with Depression, Anxiety, Costochondritis, weight gain, PTSD, Spondolosis, and other conditions…but she has not given up. Though she has made jewelry and crafts in the past before her illness got worst, she now hopes TikTok will give her the platform she needs to continue to make a difference through disability awareness, as well as the hope for extra income that comes from being a content creator, something she can do at her own pace.
Follow her on TikTok and join her Disability Awareness journey. She’s a joy to anyone who views her content. https://www.tiktok.com/@loc_dlucky_loved
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