We were lucky to catch up with CarmenRose Fiallo recently and have shared our conversation below.
Hi CarmenRose, appreciate you sitting with us today to share your wisdom with our readers. So, let’s start with resilience – where do you get your resilience from?
My resilience comes from the desire to make things better for the next generation. It comes from trauma, and not wanting others to have to experience what I have experienced. Even what generations before me experienced. I am a disabled queer Latina living with Chronic Migraine. I currently get a migraine attack every single day. I don’t want anyone to ever have to experience what I’ve been through. The medical gaslighting, internalized ableism, and fighting the difficulties of living with an invisible disability in my 20s.
I never thought I’d need this level of resilience at this age. For a lot of people, when they think of disabled folks they
think of people over the age of 60 or 70. They don’t picture a young seemingly-able bodied 25 year old. But there’s so many of us. Disabled people are the largest marginalized community in the U.S. A community that you can join at any time in your life. I’ve dealt with so many people not believing I’m disabled, because they think I don’t “look” disabled. That’s the thing though — disabled has no look. We are here. You might not see us, but we are here. It can be extremely isolating and lonely. You feel like no one sees or understands your pain, and what you go through on a daily basis. But that’s where my strength comes from. Making others feel seen.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
I am a queer Latina disability advocate living with Chronic migraine. I am very passionate about digital advocacy and accessibility. I specializes in social media advocacy and digital accessibility, and I’m inspired by telling stories of the most marginalized folks in our communities. My advocacy has been highlighted by CBS Mornings, VICE, and Healthline.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
Resilience, patience, and flexibility are three super important skills on my journey. I never knew how much I would need these skills when I was diagnosed with Chronic Migraine. So much became out of my own control. I had to learn to stay strong, and be patient with factors out of my control.
If you’re early in your journey, patience and flexibility is the best thing you can work on. It can be so frustrating, and those feelings are valid too. The sooner you learn patience and flexibility, the sooner you’ll have peace.
What was the most impactful thing your parents did for you?
The most impactful thing my parents ever did for me was to support me 100%, no matter what. I have never once doubted my parents would support me, and that has given me so much strength. They also always taught me to speak up, and advocate when things are wrong. They gave me my voice and my strength. Supporting and loving someone exactly how they are is so powerful. We are always evolving and becoming new versions of ourselves. So, to know that my parents will love and support me at every single stage in life, has been invaluable.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carmenrosefiallo/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carmenrosefiallo/
