In partnership with Ascend
Photo Credit: Led LenaAccording to the Centers for Disease Control, six in ten adults in the US suffer from a chronic disease. That is a surprisingly high number. However, not everyone with a chronic illness suffers to the same degree. Some manage to live life in a relatively normal way, managing to keep their more debilitating symptoms at bay. Others suffer in a more extreme way, sometimes even requiring the help of a wheelchair to get around. The latter is closer to the kind of life with chronic illness popular Instagram fashion influencer Lena deals with on a daily basis.
Lena is a Ukrainian-born woman who moved to the US in 1996 and has since then become one of the most colorful and positive fashion influencers on social media. What started as a hobby has turned into a past-time business today. Not only that, but it has become therapeutic in a way, as Lena continually deals with the effects of a debilitating chronic illness.
The start of Lena’s woes came around the year 2000. That is when she was slowly deteriorating and experiencing health issues that made it increasingly harder to live a normal life. She began to see various doctors and switched to a healthier lifestyle, which included cutting out all processed foods, chemical-laden cosmetics, and anything else she saw as making her chronic condition worse. These measures unfortunately didn’t help to cure her, but they did become a part of her new lifestyle.
Living with a chronic illness isn’t easy. Besides the physical limitations she experienced, Lena also had to deal with some other issues that were taking a toll on her on all levels. As someone who has always looked on the bright side of things, she decided to become passionately dedicated to being a splash of sunshine in other peoples’ lives, as well as her own.
Photo Credit: Led LenaLena initially created an Instagram page as a way to take her mind off of things occurring in her daily life. The struggles of day-to-day living took a physical, mental, and emotional toll on her, which is why she knew she needed some easy way to elevate her spirits. Dressing up in colorful and bold outfits was something that always cheered her up, which is why she decided to do so, and then have photos taken to share with the world. Dressing up was already something she did before starting her Instagram page, so it was a natural transition for her to do it on camera.
She quickly learned that there were plenty of people who enjoyed the incredibly cheerful and colorful outfits she put together for her Instagram photoshoots posts. This became a win-win because when she dressed up and had photos taken, she felt normal, while uplifting people around the world.
When you take a look at Lena’s Instagram page, you immediately see why over four million people look forward to seeing her posts. She has a definitive style that cannot be compared to any other fashion influencer on Instagram.
What you will also notice is that Lena doesn’t share any photos with her face clearly displayed, ever. This is due to her looking to retain her privacy, at least for the time being. Lena enjoys her privacy in a world that is obsessed with sharing everything about itself. The tinge of mystery adds to the uniqueness of her Instagram page and its appeal.
Photo Credit: Led LenaWhile looking through her photos, you also get the sense that Lena is constantly on the move and heading to a lavish function somewhere. However, the reality is a little different from this common perception. Lena is wheelchair-bound. Due to her chronic illness, she finds it more challenging to do simple things like walking down the driveway, yet she can thankfully still muster the strength to do so.
Since Lena enjoys her privacy, she has also been quite secretive and vague about her chronic condition. This is a deeply personal experience that not everyone wishes to share with millions of people. However, she has been getting increasingly more comfortable with sharing some details about her daily struggle. Lena sees herself becoming a more prominent spokesperson on Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Lyme Disease in the future, in order to raise awareness and help others also dealing with these conditions.
For now, Lena is sticking mostly to sharing colorful and stunning photos of outfits she puts together to share with her audience, while also sharing words of positivity in every caption she writes.
You can follow Lena’s Instagram page to regularly get a colorful splash of sunshine. She has also just recently launched Lena’s World, which is a fashion/travel/lifestyle blog she will use as another outlet to add more positivity and inspiration into the world.
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