Chronicon, Elevating Those Living With Chronic Illnesses
Courtesy of Chronicon
Chronicon is a New York City-based community and event space that’s dedicated to bringing together and elevating people living with chronic illnesses. It does so by hosting a number of workshops and fostering a tight-knit community. Studies show that 45 percent of the United States population has at least one chronic illness today, and the rates are expected to rise to 49 percent by 2030, the website describes.
We spoke with Founder Nitika Chopra about where she got the idea to create Chronicon, how the COVID-19 pandemic that started in 2020 inspired a new version of Chronicon, and what’s the focus going forward.
Hi Gray: Tell me how you first got the idea for Chronicon.
Nitika Chopra: I have had chronic illnesses for the last 30 years. I am a patient, that’s the first thing that inspired me, there’s no space for the type of patient I am. I am a full person I have a lot of interests and I happen to have two autoimmune diseases. There’s a lot of trauma sharing, just really focusing on the sadness and the hardship and the specific condition you have. I do think with Chronicon specifically we’re talking to the person who is excited in learning how to thrive, learning to embrace how to thrive with a chronic illness. …