Full name: Cameron Young

City & State: Madison, Wisconsin

Age: 15 years old

Pain warrior role: U.S. Pain advocate since 2018

What type of health conditions you live with: Chronic pain, gastrointestinal issues, dysautonomia/Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome, and cold urticaria.

What is your favorite tip for others with chronic pain: “Always remember, there are no activities that you can’t do. If you want to do something bad enough and it’s worth the pain and problems it might cause, there is a way to do it. Maybe you have to build up your arm strength for a few weeks before you go do archery. Maybe you have to do it sitting and wear braces, but if you want it bad enough, you can find a way to do it. You just have to work around the issues enough that the problems it might cause are small enough that it’s worth it.”

What’s a fun fact about you: “I have a super cute pet dove named Ruffles who’s about a year old. He has a mutation that makes his feathers thin, so isn’t able to do some things that most other birds can do, like fly. He’s disabled, just like me, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Cameron Young is an extremely active member of the pain warrior community and the first Pediatric Pain Warrior to be honored as the Pain Warrior of the Month. Cameron is the youngest member of U.S. Pain’s Disparities Council. He helps moderate the pediatric pain warrior Minecraft games that are part of the ongoing Pediatric Pain Warrior Retreat. Cameron believes advocacy is key in understanding, which is why he has dedicated his free time to raising awareness both for chronic pain warriors and for access to proper healthcare for himself and other transgender individuals.