Dealing with a severe cold or a broken bone isn’t easy. But at least there’s an end in sight. Once you get over the cold or your bone heals, you’re pretty much back to normal. Unfortunately, that’s not the case for people with chronic(long-term) illnesses. With no ‘cure’ in sight, these illnesses can sometimes last a lifetime. You can live with a chronic condition day to day, responding to its sometimes swiftly changing symptoms and problems. Or you can take charge and manage the disease instead of letting it rule you. And that’s what our guest for today, Quin Taylor, did; she regained control of her story from a life-threatening chronic illness.  

Who is Quin Taylor – 01:58

Quin Taylor is a strong woman whose journey through life moved me almost to tears. Being suddenly diagnosed with a chronic illness is, to some people, a death sentence. And it may be because life can be unpredictable sometimes. But here’s the thing, it doesn’t have to be like that. If we only changed our attitudes on how we tackle life’s lemons, then there is hope. Quin was diagnosed with a chronic kidney disease halfway through her Master’s degree. The saddest part is that she lived a perfectly normal life until things suddenly came crashing down. Her kidney disease took her on a grieving journey where she had to let go of the life she had envisioned and accept her new form of life. One morning, she received news of an available kidney ready for transplant. She was stoked, and suddenly there was hope. She got a successful kidney transplant, but then her father died six weeks later, and then she was back to square one. 

How Quin Successfully Managed To Let Go of All Her Pain – 10:55

There were many times when Quin felt like giving up and let life take its course, but there was something deep down that kept her moving forward. Quin is a person of faith, and she believed that God never gives people more than they can handle. After a brief period of soul searching and self-exploration, she eventually found the strength to open a new chapter of her life. Sometimes it takes finding something you’re willing to fight for to get the strength to carry on. So, if you’re in a challenging situation where there seems to be no end in sight, just know that God has already equipped you with everything you need to keep on fighting.

How Quin Reached Out For Help and To Whom – 13:55

Reaching out for help is in itself a tough thing to do because it takes guts to accept that you need help. Even after you decide to reach out to people, not everybody will understand what you’re going through. This is because the grief and pain associated with chronic illnesses are very personal. So, before you seek help from someone, make sure that person at least understands what you’re going through or is willing to be there for you when you need them the most. Quin used to talk to caregivers and patients going through similar things as she did. Before you reach out to someone, make sure that he/she will only add positivity to your life. 

Quin’s Journey Into Entrepreneurship – 17:00

We already know that inspirations sometimes come from the places we least expect. Two weeks after her father died, Quin decided that she wanted to go back to working again. She joined a medical organization where her primary role was building bridges between patients and caregivers. However fulfilling her role as an intermediary was, she realized that when you work for other people, your vision doesn’t always align with their mission. With that, Quin quit her job midway through a pandemic and set out to do her own thing. It hasn’t been easy, but she knows that she’s working towards a higher purpose, and that’s all the motivation she needs.

Quin’s Advice To People Who Aim To Start Their Own Business – 21:05 

Entrepreneurship is never for the faint of heart. It will require dedication, sacrifice, and passion before you finally get to where you want to be. The good news is that if you put in the work, the rewards will be worth it. Nevertheless, sometimes you’ll get discouraged when things are not happening the way you envisioned they would, but that’s okay. As long as you’re passionate about what you’re doing and you’re positively impacting someone’s life, that’s all you need to keep showing up. Quin’s message to you today is that we don’t get to choose what happens to us, but we can dictate how we respond to it. So, as you journey through life, don’t wait until you lose something before learning to appreciate what you have.

Quin Taylor is a patient advocate with an expertise in chronic kidney disease. Quin is also a  patient engagement specialist, speaker, author, gratitude enthusiast and kidney transplant recipient. She is a woman of faith and gratitude. She has implemented these gifts in her life to overcome many obstacles. 

Quin is skilled in showing people with chronic illnesses how to implement similar tools in their lives while inspiring, empowering and encouraging others. She has a Psychology background and worked as a social worker in mental health for over 5 years.  

Most recently, she was a Patient Liaison where she focused on patient engagement and building effective bridges of communication between patients and medical professionals. Connect with Quin Taylor on LinkedIn.

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