PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — A Portland filmmaker is sharing how her diagnosis of Mal de Debarquement Syndrome inspired her to connect with others facing similar battles.
In 2015, Kimberly Warner developed MdDS symptoms — including feeling constantly dizzy or as if she’s rocking — and was diagnosed with the disease four and a half years later. The filmmaker says she struggled to look at screens, including her phone, and began to isolate herself.
She was then inspired to connect with others and turned her camera back on “with the decision to meet other people that were learning to live with all sorts of chronic conditions,” Warner said.
However, after the pandemic hit, Warner turned the project into a docu-series — creating “short essays” in which she asked people about their diagnoses.
Through her company Unfixed Media, Warner now has several series focusing on mental health conditions, COVID-19 and vestibular issues.
Reflecting on the project, she says “it’s turned into something I never panned, all born from my sincerest desire to just connect with people so that I could learn how to live with this. Now, it’s just this fabulous community of people.”