They range in ages, from 17 to 70. They live across the country–from New Jersey all the way to Puerto Rico. They have been diagnosed with dozens of different pain conditions, from sickle cell to fibromyalgia. They are all races, and all genders.

These are the faces of our Pain Awareness Month Storyathon. And they embody the fact that chronic pain doesn’t care what you look like, or where you come from. It can affect anyone, at any time, and in so many ways.

In August, we put out the call for our community to submit 3-5 minute video stories about life with pain. We received an overwhelming response. The stories were heartbreaking and inspiring, all at once. Some spoke sitting up, outdoors in the sunshine. Others shared their stories from the confines of their bed. But each had a similar theme: chronic pain is devastating. But you can’t give up.

In honor of Pain Awareness Month and our #LetsTalkAboutPain theme, we’re sharing one of these candid videos a day. We urge you to take a minute to watch them–to be inspired and to know you’re not alone. And, we encourage you to leave a comment or message in response to the videos, thanking the brave individuals who shared their stories. It’s not easy to share your story. But it’s urgently necessary in order to create more awareness.

If you missed the video Storyathon submission deadline and would like to submit a written story of 200 words or less, you can do that here.

And, special thanks to our sponsor, Thrive Tape, for making the Storyathon possible.