Profile: Deshae Lott, PhD

How people cope and subsequently learn to live well while  dealing with a  progressive medical condition is a central theme in my health
advocacy writing. Later this year, I will be interviewing Deshae Lott, PhD, a prolific writer and health care advocate.  She has written  widely on subjects related to ventilator dependent living, spirituality, and health care access for persons with disabilities. 

In the following essay, "No Way Out But In: Responding to Chaos Positively with  Forgiveness and Grief", Deshae walks the reader through the challenges of a week in her life of living with Limb Girdle Muscular Dystrophy. In this piece,  Deshae shares her own acquired model of coping, “Whether much is going awry or  right, I restore my inner serenity and well-being each day by using prayer and  meditation, and processing grief and forgiving.

No day seems to pass without my  using these mental resources,” she states. Her mission is to offer encouragement  to those who struggle with the emotional stresses of complex health concerns. 

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