My Counterpane evolved from the experience of Kate Milliken, who was diagnosed with relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis (MS) in 2006.

A video producer by trade, Kate produced a series of videos to showcase her first year with MS and launched them in 2009 on Katescounterpane.com. A counterpane is a patchwork quilt created from a variety of fabrics which, when sewn together, create warmth and beauty as a whole. Her emotional honesty struck a chord and the project gained wide viewership in the MS community, especially among the newly diagnosed.

What became clear to Kate through her own experience was that people need a way to connect each other not only via sharing the daily experience of illness (the clinical), but by sharing the emotions behind the illness (the psychological). Mycounterpane.com started with MS, but as the site gained traction, other communities were born.

Our aim is to be the experiential version of a counterpane patchwork quilt: a community that celebrates the virtual, remembers the real, and ultimately, counters pain with the knowledge of who we are, what we know, and how we feel.

Joseph Fusaro joins us as co-host. He is a MyCounterpane member, mental health advocate, author, and friend! 

www.unreadletters.com