Tearing Down Differences with Film

Teenagers and young adults with chronic and rare diseases are often acutely aware of how their conditions make them different. That point can be made painfully clear by classmates and others who may avoid or bully them. Filmmaker Lisa Hedley and behavioral therapist Michelle Kupfer, both mothers raising children of difference, created Difference Diaries after a chance meeting. Through short films made by young adults with chronic and rare conditions, they are working to, as their tagline says, inspire, teach, and engage. We spoke to Kupfer about Difference Diaries, its origins, and the impact it is having.