27/11/2025
Today it is my absolute pleasure to bring you the story of Tashi Natasha Sivpersad, as told by her friend and my friend SABINE HEALTH AND BEAUTY CLINIC / Sabine Glen
When chronic illness steals your breath, hope can feel impossibly distant. Yet stories like Tashi’s remind us that even in the hardest seasons, courage has a way of shining through.
For years, Tashi has been a steady voice of reassurance in our community. Many have leaned on her experience, her calm presence, and her willingness to walk beside those facing their own health battles.
What many may not realise is that behind her generosity lies a deeply personal struggle with both and .
Her journey began on an ordinary morning that changed everything. A sudden, sharp pain in her chest stopped her in her tracks. It was the kind of pain that sends the mind spiraling toward the worst possibilities. In those first moments, she wondered whether it was her heart, or whether anxiety had taken hold. Instead, it marked the start of a long and complicated path toward understanding an invisible illness.
Costochondritis, the inflammation of cartilage connecting the ribs to the breastbone, often mimics the signs of a cardiac emergency. For many, including Tashi, the fear surrounding those symptoms only deepens the discomfort.
When costochondritis appears alongside fibromyalgia, the challenges multiply. Fibromyalgia, a condition marked by widespread pain and exhaustion, affects millions worldwide, yet remains misunderstood and frequently overlooked.
Tashi lives with both. Every flare, every disrupted night of sleep, every limitation imposed by her body reflects a resilience that often goes unseen. Yet, she continues to show up. She continues to give. She continues to care.
What has helped her most is community. Finding others who recognise the weight of invisible pain has provided not only support but a sense of belonging. Within these shared experiences, understanding grows, and hope takes root.
By opening up about her journey, Tashi hopes others will learn to recognise their symptoms sooner, speak up for themselves in medical spaces, and realise they don’t have to struggle in silence. Her message is simple but powerful: invisible does not mean unnoticed.
In her own words, “The pain may be invisible to others, but in this community, we see each other. In that visibility, there is healing.”
May her story remind us that no one facing chronic illness should ever walk alone, and that even when every breath hurts, strength can still rise.
