Diagnosed with Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis in 2009, thyroid patient Sarah Downing is a translator and writer. In her spare time, she runs Butterflies & Phoenixes, a chronic illness blog that focuses on the spread of positivity, hope and letting others know they are not alone. Her main focus is thyroid disease, but she (and her guest writers) also feature various other conditions. Through her patient interviews and articles, she aims to raise awareness and change attitudes, treatments and people’s overall health. In addition, she is also the blog editor for project ThyroidChange (www.thyroidchange.org).