Like most other people in this generation, I’ve been battling a range of emotions such as sadness, anxiety, hopeless and despair. Of course, not all of my days are like that but it’s still a major part of my life. So, after watching Five Feet Apart and discovering the gem of a person it’s based on, Claire Wineland, my perspective in life changed. If you do not know who she is, allow me to enlighten you to an amazing person the world lost too early.
Claire Wineland: The Witty Angel With Cystic Fibrosis
Claire was an American YouTuber, who happened to have a genetic disease called Cystic Fibrosis. Basically, those who suffer from it do so from a young age and it lasts all their lives. It affects mostly the areas of the lungs but can affect other areas such as the intestines, liver, kidneys and pancreas. Those who have it suffer from lung infections and it becomes increasingly difficult to breathe for them as their bodies are creating excessive amounts of mucus every day. It’s considered to be a high maintenance disease where you have to spend about 4-5 hours each day on treatments and have over multiple medicines. It’s quite a gruesome disease that can be quite abysmal. Yet Claire Wineland did not let it weigh her down and make it an excuse not to live her life the way she wanted.
In fact, Claire Wineland chose this disease as a reason to live her life to the fullest and to enjoy each moment as she could. This ideology was so important in her having a positive mindset. It eventually led to her spreading that great message through a YouTube channel entitled ‘The Clairity Project’ where she opened up about everything she had to deal with as a cystic fibrosis patient. Later on, she had her own personal Claire Wineland channel as well.
What Claire Wineland Taught Me
Claire, with her effortless wit and relentless optimism, would teach you some valuable things about life. People would deem her life as a painful and hellish one but she would have something different to say. Claire would tell you that yes CF is difficult but it won’t stop you from having a beautiful and wonderful life that you love. Someone like Claire had this beautiful charm inside her that would infect your veins in an amazingly positive way. Even if you did not want to, you would end up being grateful for your life and everything that you have.
She did not let the fact that she might die soon be a reason to completely give up on it. Most of us let many different reasons to justify why we would be better off dead. A person like Claire can teach you that no matter what your circumstances are, you can still enjoy the moments you have. ‘Love what is’ was her honest mantra, something that inspired everyone around her. You should not worry about what may or may not happen but rather just do everything you can to make your current state of life as joyful and beautiful as possible. You need not worry about anything but rather just enjoy it. Hence, Wineland and her friends could joke about her genetic disease so that they could just have a really good time together.
Claire’s Legacy: Make the World a Better Place
Claire was one of those people that could potentially end global warming with just her never ending determination and drive. She never wanted to live a life where she was sitting idly and not doing anything to make a difference. Even with a tough life disease as Cystic Fibrosis, she managed to create Claire Place’s Foundation. It’s where you can donate funds to families who are taking care of a cystic fibrosis patient.
Moreover, Claire loved public speaking and never missed an opportunity to spread a hopeful message.
Perhaps, these are the words that best describe the positivity and wisdom that Claire Wineland had to share with the world:
You can have a painful life. You can suffer, you can experience what it’s like to feel to be like a human being. All the those messy and gross emotions. Yet you can make a life for yourself that you are very proud of.
She didn’t lie about her cystic fibrosis experience. In fact, she was quite open about the pain and exhaustion that goes along side this terminal disease; the physical pain as well as the mental struggles one has to deal with. Despite all of that, she still carved out a life for herself that she was proud of and that she was happy with. She went around the stage of different platforms so that people could learn to do that for themselves as well, no matter what they were dealing with.
Claire Wineland Explained How The Power To Change Your Life Is Within You
She didn’t think having cystic fibrosis was something that made her completely unique and unrelatable to people around her. She was a human like us all; feeling pain as well as happiness. Through it, she still endeavored to make a meaningful change in the world.
Whether it was through her organization or her wise words and beautifully hopeful messages, Claire Wineland impacted the world in a profound way. Her eternal message of hope will forever serve as inspiration for many.
She died last year in September, a week after her lung transplant. She was 21. Even though it is definitely heartbreaking that she is no longer with us, Claire is probably laughing up there sipping peace juice and gossiping with some of her inspirational idols. And she’d want us to be hopeful and make an active effort to create a life we’re proud of too. Let’s try to honor her memory.
You can donate to learn more about her foundation here.