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SPORK! presents “How a Meme Saved Me From Health Anxiety,” by Chase Rankin, a deeply personal reflection on disability, medical uncertainty, and what it means to live in a body that can make every unfamiliar symptom feel significant.

After being diagnosed with Friedreich’s Ataxia at thirteen, Chase grew accustomed to navigating serious health concerns alongside the constant possibility that something new might be wrong. Over time, that awareness became a cycle of searching, reassurance, and anxiety—one that made it increasingly difficult to distinguish between genuine concern and the fear of what a symptom might mean.

With humor and vulnerability, Chase examines that complicated relationship with his body and his health, and the unexpected role a piece of internet culture played in disrupting the cycle. Rather than offering an easy solution to health anxiety, “How a Meme Saved Me From Health Anxiety” explores the tension between taking your health seriously and finding ways to navigate the uncertainty and fear that can accompany it.

SPORK! continues creating space for Disabled writers and artists to share lived experiences through creative expression.

Read the full piece here: https://www.sporkability.org/spork-exclusive/2026/9/11/how-a-meme-saved-me-from-health-anxiety

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Cover Photo: Jo Zixuan

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August 7th 2026, a new piece from the Diary: Beautiful But Intrusive Written Art series by Anna Coffey, explores the complicated space between craving and fulfillment.

Through fragmented imagery of honey, sugar, crumbs, and an empty cookie jar, the piece moves between sweetness and dread, capturing the restless feeling of reaching for something that never quite feels like enough.

New prose from the Diary: Beautiful But Intrusive Written Art series is shared every Thursday as SPORK! continues creating space for Disabled writers and artists to share lived experiences through creative expression.

Read the full piece here: https://www.sporkability.org/spork-exclusive/august-7th-2026

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Cover Photo: Rachel Bee Porter

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Part of the Diary: Beautiful But Intrusive Written Art series by Anna Coffey, September 15th, 2025, explores the disorienting space between perception and reality. Through surreal, fragmented prose, it reflects on isolation, mistrust, and the quiet unraveling that can occur when familiar voices fade and unanswered questions remain.

New prose from the Diary: Beautiful But Intrusive Written Art series is shared every Thursday as SPORK! continues creating space for Disabled writers and artists to share lived experiences through creative expression.

Read the full article here: https://www.sporkability.org/spork-exclusive/september-15th-2025

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Cover Photo: Fesq

This weekend was more than the 23rd Annual Chicago Disability Pride Parade—it also marked 36 years since the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was signed into law on July 26, 1990. While the ADA transformed access, opportunity, and inclusion for millions of Disabled Americans, it also reminds us that our work toward accessibility, equity, and inclusion continues.

Marching with the Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities (MOPD), just feet away from Commissioner Rachel Arfa, her team, and Mayor Brandon Johnson, was truly invigorating. Now more than ever, seeing the Disabled community come together to support one another, share resources, celebrate our identities and lived experiences, and stand united in protecting our rights feels incredibly important.

When I say my heart beats for my community, I truly mean it. I’ve attended the Chicago Disability Pride Parade more than half a dozen times and have now had the honor of marching twice. Every year, I leave feeling blessed, reconnected, and with a renewed sense of belonging, surrounded by so many incredible Disabled people, familiar faces, advocates, caregivers, allies, and leaders who continue to shape our community and push our movement forward.

Thank you, Chicago, for always showing up for the Disabled community. And thank you to the incredible organizers, MOPD, Commissioner Rachel Arfa, Mayor Brandon Johnson, and everyone who works so hard to make this event—and our city—a place where Disabled people are celebrated, supported, and valued. 💙

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Part of the Diary: Beautiful But Intrusive Written Art series by Anna Coffey, July 4th, 2025, this prose explores the lingering weight of trauma and the quiet heartbreak of breaking promises made to yourself. Moving through memories, shame, and the hope of beginning again, it reminds us that healing often comes with setbacks—and that those setbacks do not erase the desire to keep moving forward.

New prose from the Diary: Beautiful But Intrusive Written Art series is shared every Thursday as SPORK! continues creating space for Disabled writers and artists to share lived experiences through creative expression.

Read the full article here: https://www.sporkability.org/spork-exclusive/july-4th-2025

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Part of the Diary: Beautiful But Intrusive Written Art series by Anna Coffey, September 25th, 2025 explores the relationship between creativity, memory, and the moments that continue to linger long after they have passed. Through vibrant artistic imagery, nostalgic reflections, and treasured connections, the piece considers how inspiration returns through familiar places, cherished experiences, and the fragments of ourselves we carry forward.

New prose from the Diary: Beautiful But Intrusive Written Art series is shared every Thursday as SPORK! continues creating space for Disabled writers and artists to share lived experiences through creative expression.

Read the full article here: https://www.sporkability.org/spork-exclusive/september-25th-2026

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Illustration by Toma Vagner

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Part of the Diary: Beautiful But Intrusive Written Art series by Anna Coffey, June 11th 2026 explores the tension between desire, expectation, and identity. Through fragmented imagery and emotional reflection, it examines what happens when external demands begin to overshadow personal expression, leaving creativity and selfhood struggling to remain visible beneath the pressure to conform.

New prose from the Diary: Beautiful But Intrusive Written Art series is shared every Wednesday as SPORK! continues creating space for Disabled writers and artists to share lived experiences through creative expression.

New prose from the series is shared every week as SPORK! continues creating space for Disabled writers and artists to share lived experiences through creative expression.

Read the full article here: https://www.sporkability.org/spork-exclusive/june-11th-2026

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Illustration by Laura Caviedes

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Part of the Diary: Beautiful But Intrusive Written Art series by Anna Coffey, May 31st 2026 explores the tension between desire, expectation, and identity. Through fragmented imagery and emotional reflection, the work examines what happens when external demands begin to overshadow personal expression, leaving creativity and selfhood struggling to remain visible.

New prose from the series is shared every Wednesday as SPORK! continues creating space for Disabled writers and artists to share lived experiences through creative expression.

Read the full article here: https://www.sporkability.org/spork-exclusive/may-31st-2026

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Illustration by Noa Snir

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Read The Rise of the AI Patient: What Happens When Healthcare Gets Personal by Shalirrah Wisney.

What happens when artificial intelligence becomes part of your healthcare journey?

Drawing from her experience navigating a Crohn's disease diagnosis, Shalirrah Wisney explores how AI is transforming the way patients research symptoms, prepare for appointments, organize medical information, and advocate for their own care. Blending personal insight with thoughtful analysis, she examines the opportunities, challenges, and ethical questions surrounding AI in healthcare—from privacy and accessibility to trust, regulation, and the evolving role of the patient in an increasingly digital world.

Read the full article here: https://www.sporkability.org/spork-exclusive/2026/6/1/the-rise-of-the-ai-patient-what-happens-when-healthcare-gets-personal

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Part of the Diary: Beautiful But Intrusive Written Art series by Anna Coffey, May 24th 2025 moves through spiraling thoughts, emotional shame, and the exhaustion of carrying invisible distress alone. Through fragmented imagery and abrupt pauses, it reflects on the tension between asking for help and feeling consumed by fear, memory, and self-doubt.

New prose from the series is shared every Wednesday as SPORK! continues creating space for Disabled writers and artists to share lived experiences through creative expression.

Read the full piece here: https://www.sporkability.org/spork-exclusive/may-24th-2025

Access note: Audio description coming soon.

Illustration by Francisco Romero Zafra