Your Story Our Fight by Lupus LA

Season FIVE Episode EIGHT of the Your Story Our Fight® podcast welcomes Dr. Nya Oglesby. Dr. Nya Oglesby is a lupus survivor who turned her diagnosis into purpose-driven advocacy. Diagnosed as a teenager, she uses her lived experience to educate, empower, and uplift others impacted by lupus. She is pursuing a career in pediatric rheumatology and is committed to closing gaps in care for underserved communities. Her work centers on s...

Season FIVE Episode SEVEN of the Your Story Our Fight® podcast welcomes Dr. Sheetal Desai, MD, MSED. Sheetal Desai completed medical school at the University of Southern California (USC) followed by Internal Medicine residency and Rheumatology fellowship at UCLA.  She pursued a Master of Science in Medical Education from the USC Rossier School of Education.  She joined the University of California, Irvine (UCI) as rheumatology facu...

Season SIX Episode FIVE of the Your Story Our Fight® podcast welcomes Linda Park. In this episode, we sit down with the multi-talented Linda Park. Known for her iconic roles in Star Trek: Enterprise and Bosch, and most recently seen in Peacock’s The Paper and Netflix’s A Man on the Inside, Linda has spent her career acting alongside industry greats. 
But behind the scenes, Linda has navigated a different journey: a lupus diagno...

Season FIVE Episode FIVE of the Your Story Our Fight® podcast welcomes Shedrica Holmes.  Shedrica is a lupus advocate, podcast host, and creator of the Chronically Planned platform. Diagnosed with lupus in 2008, she shares honest conversations around chronic illness, identity, faith, and rebuilding life through intentional planning. Through storytelling and guidance, Shedrica creates space for women living with lupus to feel seen, ...

Season FIVE Episode FOUR of the Your Story Our Fight® podcast welcomes Vania and Alfredo Losoya.  Vania Dzib is a dedicated educator, lupus warrior, and a passionate member of Lupus LA’s Patient Advocacy Panel. In the midst of the 2020 pandemic (a time defined by distance and uncertainty) she met her now-husband, Alfredo, through an online match. What started as a digital connection blossomed into a partnership built on mutual empa...

Season FIVE Episode THREE of the Your Story Our Fight® podcast welcomes Rachel Carmen Ceasar. Rachel Carmen Ceasar is a medical anthropologist and public health researcher committed to helping people make informed health decisions rooted in science and evidence. She holds a PhD in Medical Anthropology from the University of California, Berkeley, and currently serves as an Assistant Professor at the Keck School of Medicine at the Un...

Season FIVE Episode TWO of the Your Story Our Fight® podcast welcomes Sarina Mawji. Sarina Lives in Vancouver, BC, Canada and was diagnosed in 2016. Sarina works within and for communities through ongoing community engagement programming initiatives through identifying community needs, capacities, & assets. She is committed to creating a better world, which is evident through her work of organizing initiatives, that foster genu...

Season FOUR Episode FIFTEEN of the Your Story Our Fight® podcast welcomes Chantelle Chandler. Chantelle is a resilient lupus warrior who has been navigating life with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), hypothyroidism, rheumatoid arthritis, and Raynaud's syndrome for over three decades. In addition to managing these autoimmune conditions, she has also lived with jugular deep vein thrombosis (DVT) for the past 28 years. Through...

Season FOUR Episode FOURTEEN of the Your Story Our Fight® podcast welcomes Roxanne Lerner. Roxanne Lerner is a certified yoga teacher and holistic health coach who has been living with lupus for the past 14 years. She is happily married with two young children. Roxanne takes a mindfulness-based approach to health and is passionate about sharing with other chronic illness warriors the science-backed practices that have been instrume...

Season FOUR Episode THIRTEEN of the Your Story Our Fight® podcast welcomes Hayley Weinstein. Diagnosed in 1999 with Lupus, Hayley has struggled with a plethora of various autoimmune health-related challenges over the years. Native to Los Angeles, Hayley has been working for 25+ ( off and on) as a Casting Director, primarily casting Reality TV. Her casting expertise is in casting “real people” in everything from Medical Shows, Compe...

Season FOUR Episode TWELVE of the Your Story Our Fight® podcast welcomes Dr. Shabnam Esmailzadeh. Shabnam is a Doctor of Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine. Diagnosed with lupus at the age of 18, she took charge of her well-being by focusing on mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual health. This personal journey has deeply shaped her practice, inspiring her to guide her patients toward balance and wellness through the...

Season FOUR Episode ELEVEN of the Your Story Our Fight® podcast welcomes Dr. Katherine VanHise. Katherine is an OBGYN and fertility specialist based in Beverly Hills, California.  Immediately following her graduation from OBGYN residency she developed her first symptoms of lupus.  Her diagnosis of SLE came 15 months later after consulting with over 20 physicians across different specialties and institutions.  Her journey navigating...

Season FOUR Episode TEN of the Your Story Our Fight® podcast welcomes Connie Sparks. Connie Sparks is the Founder of Wadeco Business Center, LLC a MWBE, DBE, WOSB, and SB-designated entity.  Connie’s consulting and financing career spans over 24 years and is widely recognized as an award-winning leading  expert on business development, strategic planning, and supplier contracting. She has worked with business owners at all levels, ...

Season FOUR Episode NINE of the Your Story Our Fight® podcast welcomes Alicia Evans. Alicia lives with lupus and several other autoimmune and connective tissue diseases, which has made her passionate about raising awareness of chronic illness. As a parent of twins with autism, Alicia has gained unique insights into caregiving and advocacy. She enjoy decorating with and selling vintage items, as well as creating succulent, seashell ...

Season FOUR Episode EIGHT of the Your Story Our Fight® podcast welcomes Regan Birr. Regan is the owner of Regan MOVES, a wellness and fitness company for people with chronic challenges. Regan has lupus and arthritis. She spent many years in severe pain, until she started exercising in a special way:  she holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Saskatchewan and used her background to design a low-t...

Season FOUR Episode SEVEN of the Your Story Our Fight® podcast welcomes Risa A. Regalado, RDH. Risa A. Regalado, RDH  is the youngest of 3 siblings (2 older brothers) and grew up in Laguna Niguel, Ca. Risa attended undergrad at UCSB, then dental hygiene at USC. She practiced hygiene for a decade in Santa Monica and Beverly Hills before moving to Arizona for dental school. Risa is currently a third year dental student at Midwestern ...

Season FOUR Episode SIX of the Your Story Our Fight® podcast welcomes Olivia Abousaid. Master Certified Grief and Transformation Coach, Olivia Abousaid understands the profound significance of resilience through her own journey. She was diagnosed with discoid lupus and SLE in July of 2021. Olivia has cultivated a deep appreciation for personal growth and transformation while navigating the limitations of chronic illness. Based in L...

Season FOUR Episode FIVE of the Your Story Our Fight® podcast welcomes Sheba Family Zaman. As a computer scientist, Sheba has spent the last 20 years working in a technical software role with the quality department of pharmaceutical and life science companies. Her role spans from pre-sales technical information to professional services post-sale with the goal of digitizing critical data that can affect patient safety. She speaks re...