Uplifting stories of invisible illness since 2018
There are over 130 million people in the United States with chronic illnesses, often invisible. Every single one of them has a story to share. So do their caregivers and family members.
Putting our story into words helps us understand our experiences. Especially if those experiences are challenging, complex, or misunderstood.
Made Visible began as a podcast in 2018. It featured guests living with invisible illnesses and caregivers, as well as doctors, therapists, healers, and business owners who are devoting their professional lives to people with invisible illnesses.
Every single podcast guest had an important story to tell and knowledge to share. When it comes to invisible illness, there’s so much we don’t know unless we are willing to listen. And it’s not just the invisible illness community that needs this information--it’s everyone. With invisible illness, you don’t know what people are going through unless you choose to stay informed.
We released 100 episodes of the Made Visible podcast between July 2018 and October 2020 before going on a hiatus and focusing on other ways to support the Made Visible community. The podcast is returning in January 2023.
The Made Visible Writing Class launched in late 2020, and was created to serve beginning writers ready to tell their story of living with invisible illness. We believe that your story is important, and no one can tell it like you can.
Made Visible is working with companies to create inclusivity and connection for their employees living with invisible illnesses through content, community, classes and workshops.
This community is growing as we speak. We hope you’ll join us in our mission to make invisible illness more understood and speak the truths of our reality into a world that needs to hear them.
About Harper Spero
Harper Spero founded Made Visible in 2018 after not finding content that she resonated with related to life with an invisible illness. She was diagnosed with a rare immunodeficiency, Hyper IgE Syndrome when she was ten after her mom spent her childhood searching for answers.
Before then, nobody but her closest family members knew about her condition, even though she had been living with it her entire life. Until she needed to have a life-threatening surgery to remove a quarter of her right lung, she kept her illness to herself.
Harper launched Made Visible, a 100-episode podcast that amplified stories of people living with or affected by invisible illness. She began facilitating writing classes for the Made Visible community to give them a safe place to share, feel more seen and heard, and to learn from established authors.
She is working with companies to create inclusivity and connection for their employees living with invisible illnesses through content, community, classes and workshops.
For Harper, choosing to share stories about her illness has been transformative for her life and career. Her writing has been featured by Thrive Global, Fast Company, Scary Mommy, Career Contessa, Jewish Book Council and The Today Show.
After many years of volunteering, Harper joined the Board of Trustees for the Immune Deficiency Foundation (IDF) in 2021. Harper is originally from New York City, currently lives in Tel Aviv and is constantly redefining her definition of home.
Contact Harper at harper@harperspero.com