Disability, Belonging & Asking for Help with Lana Dever

In this honest and unflinching conversation, we sit down with community advocate, social worker, and graduate student Lana Dever (Ell) to explore what it means to live at the intersections of disability, race, class, gender, and neurodivergence. Drawing from a life shaped by unstable housing, systemic neglect, and late diagnosis, Ell shares how a long-overdue understanding of her health—and worth—emerged not in clinical spaces, but in community, reflection, and resistance.Together, we talk about the cost of being “the strong one,” and Ell invites us to rethink what it means to receive support, to challenge internalized ableism and individualism, and to reconnect with the radical roots of community care.If you’ve ever felt shut out—or tried to open the door for someone else—this conversation is one you’ll want to hear. This episode is a vulnerable, gutsy reminder that healing isn’t meant to happen alone—and asking for help is a practice of liberation. If you’re moved by Ell’s story and want to support their family’s fight to keep their home, secure critical medical care, and cover essential living expenses, please consider making a gift at her GoFundMe campaign: https://gofund.me/f0861afd Music Credit: Nathan Byrne with Reel Byrne MediaTo support guts’ work, visit our ⁠⁠⁠website: www.gutsnonprofit.org Note: The information in this podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and is not medical/therapeutic advice. Such information is not intended nor otherwise implied to be mental health advice or a substitute for mental health advice, diagnosis, or treatment from a mental health or medical professional. If you become distressed and need support, call 988 to access the free 24/7 Crisis Hotline, call 911, or visit your nearest emergency room.