We were lucky to catch up with Allison Hampton recently and have shared our conversation below.

Allison, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Was there a defining moment in your professional career? A moment that changed the trajectory of your career?

I had been under doctor’s care for lupus for three or four years before some of my co-workers learned about my diagnosis. One of my co-workers remarked that she never would have guessed that I was living with any kind of diagnosis. She explained that her sister had recently been diagnosed with lupus as well, and was struggling to adjust to the limitations and adjustments—her new “normal”. She asked if I would be willing to chat with her, and I was more than happy to do so. A few minutes into our first conversation, her sister became very emotional because she finally felt like someone understood what she was going through. Too often, people with chronic medical conditions are made to feel as if they are imagining their symptoms and/or being overdramatic. I was able to share some practical advice, encouragement to empower her to advocate for herself, and hope that proper management could lead to better days. Realizing that my health challenges had prepared me to help support others was a gamechanger and the basis for founding the faith-first nonprofit, Living Chronic Faith, Inc., becoming a board-certified life coach, and launching my business, ARISE Life Coaching, LLC.

Allison, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I am most fulfilled when I’m helping. In fact, I served my community for 14 years as a 911 operator/ supervisor. In 2008, I began experiencing widespread excruciating pain and debilitating fatigue. After several trips to the doctor, the tests were still inconclusive. Then, in 2010, a random tetanus shot triggered a reaction that left me temporarily paralyzed. Finally, while in the hospital, a rheumatologist diagnosed me with lupus and fibromyalgia. I would later be diagnosed with two types of arthritis, psoriasis, and a number of other chronic illnesses. I didn’t completely understand what that meant for my future or even if I had a future to look forward to. While lying in bed unable to do anything for myself and feeling utterly worthless, a nurse came in to record my vitals. She had just returned from an extended leave during which she provided end of life care for her older sister. She was still navigating her grief and, having buried my mother several years prior, I was able to share my experience as a patient and as a caregiver whose loved one had passed away. When she said she felt better after our conversation, I realized that my physical condition did not preclude me from finding a way to help others. So, as I began to regain mobility, I worked as hard as I could in rehab to get back on my feet, powered by a newfound mission.

I recovered and was able to keep working the job that I loved, but my immune system was so compromised that working came at a great cost. Over the next few years, I would be admitted to the hospital several times a year for weeks at a time, and I drew strength from my faith, my family, and my friends. After numerous “close calls,” I asked God to show me the purpose He made me for, and the answer that came to my heart was “What’s in your hand?” A little research and a lot of soul-searching led me to conclude that I was already equipped to do what I was meant to do. Later that same day, a friend visited and brought me a notebook and a pencil. I understood, and I began to write about my journey with chronic illness, and how essential my faith had been to my survival. In 2012, I published Chronic Faith, which is full of practical wisdom for people navigating chronic medical conditions. Four years later, a friend of mine recommended that I start a YouTube channel sharing encouragement from things I had learned, but after posting only four videos on the channel we called “Living Chronic Faith”, my sister was diagnosed with cancer, bringing all production to a screeching halt. Even after she passed away a little over a year later, I was pursuing a Master’s degree and working full-time while managing my own health care, so the videos would have to wait.

When the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown occurred in 2020, my doctors restricted me from working in the call center. I found myself at home for what I thought, at the time, would be two or three weeks. I felt that this was the perfect time to relaunch the YouTube channel—I had never had this much time off work without being hospitalized! I began recording and posting two videos a week, and the weeks turned into months as my doctors continued to extend my restriction. I had plenty of time to dream bigger about how Living Chronic Faith could help people, and in December, we held our first virtual conference. Our featured speakers included two clinicians and a trauma one hospital chaplain, and the feedback was incredible! Attendees for this one-time event needed more programming that spoke to their medical and spiritual needs.

In the new year, plans began to launch a full-fledged organization with ongoing programming and resources. Living Chronic Faith, Inc. was registered as a nonprofit organization, and we were off and running. Now, LCF is a growing faith-first community with international membership. All of our programming is offered free of charge and virtually. Many people in our target audience live with mobility issues, immunodeficiency, pain, fatigue, and other issues that make in-person attendance challenging. Virtual offerings empower people to participate, connect, and remain safe and comfortable. We still post weekly inspirational videos on our YouTube channel and host the annual virtual conference in December. Over the years, we have also added a podcast, a chair exercise session, clinician-facilitated workshops, monthly support group-style meetings, and social events like our annual Purple Party. We distribute a monthly bulletin featuring upcoming events, a quarterly newsletter, and special seasonal publications. In response to the need for community and entertainment, we launched LCF Entertainment which features original theatrical productions that members and friends can participate in virtually. This also allows non-participating members to invite friends and loved ones to share a fun experience with them. Recently, we launched a scholarship in memory of my sister, a former college professor and LCF’s first member, to help college students who have been impacted by chronic illness to fund their education.

Since my original diagnoses, I have been blessed to publish two books, write and/or produce over 15 stage plays, complete a Master’s degree, and begin my doctoral studies. This has taught me that chronic illness may necessitate some lifestyle adjustments, but it in no way disqualifies anyone from living a meaningful and purposeful life. I wanted to help people navigating all kinds of life challenges to continue producing and progressing in the meantime, and I believe that my experience has put me in a unique position to demonstrate that it can be done. After over a year on medical restriction during the pandemic, I separated from employment as a 911 supervisor and began taking credentialing courses for professional life coaching. I completed those courses and am now a board-certified professional life coach with additional certifications in suicide prevention, trauma-informed care, and mental health coaching. In 2023, I started ARISE Life Coaching, LLC. where I help people who feel paralyzed by their problems to keep moving forward while still pursuing a solution.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

Having to learn to walk again and relearn basic functions after being temporarily paralyzed was a humbling and surreal experience. My brain remembered things that my body seemed to have forgotten, and all I wanted was for them to catch up to each other. The progress was slow and painful—although the pain was welcome after weeks of feeling nothing at all—and all I could think about was the day I would be able to walk again and live independently. So, I prayed, and I pushed myself. And I pushed and I prayed. I asked God for help, and He gave me strength–first, to stand, then to march in place, then to take a few steps surrounded by my own physical therapy team, then walking behind my wheelchair, to using a walker, and finally, a cane. Even when I couldn’t walk, I never once believed I couldn’t walk. It was always a temporary setback. My brain kept telling me that I could. I was as if the Holy Spirit was a silent cheer squad in my mind chanting, “You can do this. You remember how. Don’t worry. I’m here with you.” There have been many moments since then that I have felt uncertain about what was next or how I would get there, and the Holy Spirit is still cheering me on. No matter what challenges I face, I am always reminded that I can do difficult things, that I never have to face them alone, and that my life is full of purpose and I am uniquely equipped by God to fulfill it.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

Part of being a good 911 operator was being able to obtain pertinent information, assess the need of the caller, and dispatch the appropriate resources expeditiously because there was always another call to be answered. Life outside of that field, however, requires the same compassion and empathy, but my interactions now do not need to be rushed. I still remind myself that I have time to listen, be present, and hold space for people. Another skill that is no longer necessary is the need to help without following up. As a dispatcher, I would send help to people in desperate situations and then move on to the next caller, and most of the time, I never learned how things turned out for them, so I couldn’t afford to get overly invested—my job was the outset, not the outcome. Now, however, I have the luxury of walking alongside people through difficulties and triumphs, supporting and cheering them on all the way.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.livingchronicfaith.com; www.ariselifecoachingllc.com
• Instagram: @livingchronicfaith; @ariselifecoachingllc
• Youtube: www.youtube.com/@livingchronicfaith

Image Credits
Deidre Key Photography