Origin Story

When Victoria Reese Brathwaite was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2012, she found herself alone. Though highly educated and insured, her symptoms were dismissed, her questions unanswered, and no image of anyone who looked like her appeared in brochures or online searches.

Frustrated by the absence of representation and community, Victoria began documenting her story publicly — sparking a movement in 2017 under the banner #WeAreILLmatic. What started as a hashtag grew into a national patient advocacy nonprofit in 2020. Today, We Are ILL offers education, sisterhood, and strength to thousands of Black women living with MS and other chronic illnesses, and is reshaping how the world sees them.

About Us

We Are ILL is a national nonprofit organization committed to radically transforming the experience for Black women with multiple sclerosis (MS), lupus and other autoimmune diseases. Through education, sisterhood, leadership development, and advocacy, we help women navigate the complexities of chronic illnesses while reclaiming joy, identity, and power.

We serve women who are often misrepresented or missing entirely from the traditional healthcare narrative — those whose symptoms were dismissed, whose pain was minimized, and whose lives were disrupted without support. Whether you’re newly diagnosed or decades into the journey, We Are ILL offers a soft place to land and a launchpad to rise.

Our programs include our flagship Wellness Week(end) conference, virtual masterclasses like Becoming a Professional Patient, local and virtual meetups, and a growing chapter model designed to nurture regional leadership and belonging.

We’re not just raising awareness. We’re building an army of advocates and changemakers.

We Are ILL is not just an organization.

It’s a lifeline.

It’s a movement.

And it’s a soft place to land.