Stories That Demand More
A Chicago storytelling studio. We make films, share real stories, and help organizations build communities around life with chronic illness.
Stories that are seen, heard, and valued.
Chronic Life Media® makes sure people living with chronic illness are seen, heard, and valued. We do it with documentary film, honest writing, and real community.
Every story we tell pushes back on stigma, shows the barriers people face, and reminds them they are not alone.
How we help
Films and stories
We tell true stories on camera and in print. Short documentaries, video series, and written profiles that people remember.
Community building
We help you bring people together and keep them coming back. Online groups, advocate networks, and programs that give members a real voice.
A Documentary Short
Training for Life
Samantha Sauer is a certified patient advocate living with gastroparesis and other chronic illnesses. After years of setbacks, she sets out to train for a half-marathon again. The film follows her path from diagnosis through surgeries, serious infections, and the feeding tube that kept her alive. Through all of it, running stayed her lifeline.
Watch the Trailer
Life Beyond the Chart
Our online magazine about how people with chronic illness thrive. We share people as whole people: their work, art, relationships, and everyday wins, not just their diagnoses. Read essays and interviews from our archive.
Read the MagazineHave a story to tell or a community to build?
We work with nonprofits first, and we also partner with health companies and businesses that want to do right by people with chronic illness. Let's talk.