Location: Tewksbury, MA

Age: 51 years old

Pain warrior role: Ambassador/advocate for 4 years

Health conditions: I have lived with Crohn’s disease, degenerate disc disease, osteoarthritis, severe muscle spasms, multi-leveled spondylosis, over-active bladder, bipolar I & II, anxiety, depression, ADHD, and PTSD.

Tips for pain warriors: “The biggest tip to anyone suffering from chronic pain or chronic illness I have would be to keep moving. Exercise, stretch, walk the dog, walk the block, or just walk to the mailbox, as long as you just keep moving.”

Fun fact: “The first time I saw snow was when I was 36 years old. I was so excited, I filled my pick up truck with driveway snow when I saw it.”

Over the past four years, Kim has become an active advocate for the U.S. Pain Foundation. She has attended a chronic pain support group training and promptly starting a support group in her home state of Massachusetts. Kim also attended the Virtual Advocacy Training. She has put her heart into helping herself and others live fulfilling lives with chronic pain. Kim notes that becoming an advocate gave her what she needed to find herself; the determined, hard-working, motivated self that could look in the mirror and say, “I am somebody—not just somebody in pain.”