Meet your Fellow

Warriors

Sadie Veselka

Sadie + Buddy

Sadie Veselka was diagnosed at age 4 with MCTD including Juvenile Arthritis, Scleroderma, Dermatomyocitis and Raynaud’s. She loves spreading hope and cheer! Read about her here.

Kris McElroy is a near and auto-immune warrior dad.

Kris

Kris was born with complex hereditary spastic paraplegia. In 2015, he was diagnosed with RA. This neuro + auto-immune warrior Dad loves being creative and being a Card Crew member.

Fuschia Kempen

Fuschia

Fuschia Kempen was diagnosed at age 5 with Gastroparesis, POTS, Panhypopituitarism, and Raynaud’s. She knows the isolation that illness can bring. Follow her on IG here.

Monica Chronister illness warrior

Monica

Monica is a mom, Navy wife, crafting maven and avid card maker – it’s very therapeutic! She lives with Psoriatic Arthritis, psoriasis, anaphylaxis, and Fibro. Find her on IG here.

claire swain photo

Claire

meet claire

lucy the pittie

Katrina's Lucy

Katrina created the art work for our May the Fur card. The day we mailed them, she had to say good-bye to her beloved Lucy, who was the inspiration for the dog on it. She’s on IG here.

Rebecca photo

Rebecca

Rebecca lives with severe anxiety + depression. She creates art with positive messages to uplift other warriors who may be battling too. Connect with her here.

jen waters headshot

Jen

Jen was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease in 2012. Sending cards is one of her favorite hobbies and she’s a vital part of our Card Crew! Connect with her here.

erin roche photo

Erin

Erin is an illness/pain warrior who suffers from CRPS, Fibro and a host of other illnesses that caused her to become disabled at age 38. Connect here.

angelica and colby

Angelica+Colby

Angelica and Colby are a team… together they battle a multitude of illnesses including JIA. You can find her on IG here.

hannah and nala

Hannah + Nala

Nala is Hannahs’ second service dog who helps her navigate life with rare disease. You can find her on IG here.

Dani and her black and white cat, Rhubarb

Dani+Rhubarb

Dani is a butch lesbian who lives in Melbourne, Australia. They have CFS and Fibro. Rhubarb always keeps her smiling.  Say hi on IG here.

stephie noldt at mailbox

Stephie

Stephie Noldt was diagnosed at age 29 with chronic tension headaches and depressive episodes which forced her to give up her career as a librarian. Meet her here.

Amanda Phillips

Katrina + Otis

Katrina is a warrior artist who lives with narcolepsy and other challenges. She is pictured here with her beloved Otis, who was the inspiration for the corgi in our card. Find her on IG here.

naomi gilchrist

Naomi

Naomi Gilchrist was diagnosed at age 13 with hEDS, Severe M.E (with secondary complications) as well as chronic migraines. She is mostly bed bound at this time. Meet her here.

liz carter

Liz

Liz is a National Board Certified Spanish teacher, a rare mama, multi-lingual, and a passionate patient advocate. Her mantra is: “Siempre adelante” or “always moving forward.” She’s here.

denise brown

Denise

Since 1990, Denise Brown has been helping caregivers after caring for her father and then her mother, who lived with multiple medical conditions. She founded Caregiving Years Training Academy in 1996.

Laura Anthony

Laura

Laura Anthony, RN, spent her professional career caring for dialysis patients before leaving to navigate her three teens through diagnosis and treatment of their chronic medical conditions.

dawn veselka and sadie

Dawn

Dawn Veselka has been navigating her daughter’s complex medical condtions for the past 14 years and knows the challenges of caring for a child with invisible illness.

rebecca_and you can quote me

Stacey

For Stacey Haines, living in Hawaii was a dream come true… until her toddler got sick and she had to advocate relentlessly to get her to the mainland for diagnosis and a care plan. She’s on IG here.

Sadie k

Sadie K.

At age 10, Sadie was diagnosed with idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH) an invisible illness that causes incredibly painful headaches. She loves musical theatre and cats!

Jess Albert and Gus

Jess

Jess Albert was 27 when she developed a rare migraine condition called New Daily Persistent Headaches (NDPH). It took 4 years and 4 neurologists to get her diagnosis. Meet her here

Debra Hallisey headshot

Debra

Debra Hallisey cared for her ill father and then her disabled mother. She founded Advocate for Mom and Dad to help guide others who are thrown into the caregiving role!

Amanda Phillips

Amanda

Amanda Phillips (Mandy) was diagnosed at age 15 with  hEDS, POTS, Gastroparesis, Sjögren’s Syndrome and Mast Cell Activation Syndrome. Find this college student on IG here.

headshot of Dianne Perez

Dianne

A lover of horror movies and Stephen King novels, Dianne lives with Lupus, RA and APS (antiphospholipid syndrome). Nothing scares this fierce warrior anymore! Follow on IG here.

kat harrison with red hair streaks

Kat

Kat knows how spooky daily debilitating migraines can be… so she writes children’s books to help them through hospital stays and scary procedures! She’s @xokat on IG here.

audrey adamson in cat ears

Audrey

Halloween is Audrey’s favorite holiday and the spookier the better! Kinda like life with multiple  chronic illnesses, which Audrey knows all too well. Connect with her on IG here.

michele frank snowflake

Michele

Michele Frank lives with Hashimoto’s and Fibromyalgia, along with multiple undiagnosed conditions. She knows the challenges of trying to get answers!

Patty Skerl headshot

Patty

After caring for her father for years, Patty knows the challenges of being a caregiver for a parent and being an illness warrior!

Arianna Anthony headshot

Arianna

Over the past 6 years, Arianna Anthony has been diagnosed with Lyme Disease, Sjögren’s Syndrome, Gastroparesis and Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS). Meet her here.

Milo McAllister

Milo

Milo is a Canadian non-binary trans person (they/them) who lives with Interstitial Cystitis, Dysautonomia, Thalassemia Minor, ADHD, and more. They are On IG here.

Patty Skerl headshot

Llinos

meet Llinos

Patty Skerl headshot

Terra

Terra is a ME CFS warrior and advocate. She lives in New Zealand with her partner, pet bunnies and rat. You can find her on IG here.

michele frank snowflake

Maika

Maika is our fave elf because she LOVES Christmas!
She makes gorgeous cards as a distraction from the extreme pain of Sapho Syndrome. Say hi on IG here.

Tina Roig

Tina

Tina was diagnosed with IPF in 2019 and recieved a double lung transplant in 2022. Wife, mom of 2, Grandma of 2. Can’t wait for Halloween!

michele frank snowflake

Holly

meet Holly

michele frank snowflake

Aubrey

meet Aubrey

Patty Skerl headshot

Addison

meet Addison

Arianna Anthony headshot

Kayleigh

meet Kayleigh

michele frank snowflake

Holly

meet Holly

Arianna Anthony headshot

Karissa

meet Karissa

dancing phoenix

Get Involved

There are several ways that you can be involved with cards2warriors.org.

  • You can nominate a chronic illness warrior or caregiver that you know could use a little sunshine in their life. We will review submissions and send happy mail to as many as we can.
  • Make a donation that will go toward the cost of printing and postage.
  • You or your company can sponsor an event! We will highlight your business on our site and include your logo on the cards and envelopes we send out.

You can make a difference.