Triumph Program Ashley: Find Healing Through Personal Journeys

So where do I fit into this story? My name is Ashley Babcock, and I have been living with a genetic chronic illness my entire life. The details aren’t important, but it's crucial to share that my existence has been seen through the exhausting lens of fatigue, brain fog, and pain. I expend twice the energy of most people to navigate through my days, and my chronic illness has made it difficult to connect with those around me. Since my diagnosis at 16, I have undergone treatments that have improved my energy levels and surgeries that drastically reduced my pain. Without these chronic illness support measures, I would be completely disabled. Even with them, every day presents a challenge, and much of my energy is focused on merely getting by. 

When I was first diagnosed, I felt both relief and anger. I was relieved to finally have a name for my suffering and the potential for improvement, yet I was angry about everything my illness had taken from me. While treatments exist, there is no cure. The people I encountered in support groups often faced challenges far worse than mine, which led me to fear losing even more. The uncertainty of living with chronic pain and fatigue was difficult to cope with, especially when my body felt so broken and unreliable.

Determined to overcome my chronic illness, I fought hard, pushing through pain and fatigue. However, this only left me more exhausted and miserable, as I ignored the signs of weak, dysfunctional joints that would require surgeries. Through this painful trial and error, I eventually realized that fighting my chronic illness was not the way to true Triumph. It was making me miserable, and I was fed up! Thus began my personal healing journey toward finding happiness even while battling my chronic illness. 

Over the years, I discovered individuals who radiated joy despite severe pain, fatigue, and even poverty. These inspirations led me to the realization that I would have found my answers much quicker if I’d encountered more positive examples of women who embraced empowerment for women with disabilities in my life. This motivated me to create a blog dedicated to sharing stories of those thriving with chronic illnesses. I envisioned the logo for my website featuring a silhouette of a woman triumphantly raising her arms in front of a sunrise.

When I shared my design idea with my mom, who is the Founder of Emily's Place, she smiled and exclaimed, “That’s Melanie’s book!” Melanie, a long-time family friend, has written The Triumph Book, which has graced our shelf for years. To my surprise, I discovered that my vision of telling stories about triumphing over illness mirrored what Melanie had been doing in her Triumph Series all along! Once Melanie learned of my idea, she was excited and felt a strong alignment with her existing work, which led us to collaborate and turn this concept, Chronically Thriving, into a reality. We envisioned not only a book compiling inspiring stories but also a new version of The Triumph Program tailored to support those living with chronic illness. 

Working with Melanie has been a true joy and privilege, and I believe that little Brynn’s existence has given our project greater purpose. My hope is that Brynn’s story will transform your life, just as it has transformed mine, as you engage with The Triumph Program. 

It's essential to understand that you don’t have to be cured to find healing. You can discover peace, purpose, and meaning in your journey right now, even amidst your struggles. I recognize that may sound impossible—believe me, I once thought so too—but if you join us on this journey through the book, you’ll uncover tools that guide you from fearing your health changes to embracing every joyful moment as it comes, using your passions to uplift others in whatever capacity you can. 

CONTACT EMILY'S PLACE

To Start Your Triumph Experience

artrsenlove@gmail.com