PROFILE
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unior Addy Meadows doesn’t remember why she was in the hospital the first day of spring break, but she does remember filming a TikTok to Ke$ha’s “Cannibal” out of boredom from her hospital bed. Meadows’ trips to the hospital are frequent due to her Type 1 diabetes, celiac disease and juvenile arthritis. That TikTok amassed more than 29,400 views. It was the first of many viral videos about her conditions. She received comments asking questions about her conditions and requesting for similar content. As she continues to document her experiences, her account has gained popularity. @addymeadows now has 98,000 TikTok followers, and her most popular video has topped 1 million views. Meadows hopes her content helps dispel stereotypes associated with her conditions. She said people often have a negative view of Type 1 diabetes, an autoimmune disease that caused her body to stop producing insulin. “A lot of people think diabetes is caused by eating too much sugar and not exercising, but it’s pages by Emily Zeller story by Emma Holscaw illustration by Gus Cordova photos by Emma Hardesty
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Junior uses platform to dispel stereotypes about medical conditions the opposite,” Meadows said. “I was 20 pounds underweight when I was diagnosed. We don’t know why I got it.” People also underestimate the severity of celiac disease, she said. The immune reaction to eating gluten causes inflammation, and the painful swelling damages the small intestine’s lining, leading to medical complications. People often try to relate to her by saying gluten makes their stomach hurt, too. “And then I’ll have a video of me in the hospital, and they’re like, ‘Oh my gosh, what happened?’ and I am like, ‘Well, I accidentally had gluten,’” Meadows said. She said juvenile arthritis, an inflammation of the joints that causes a painful stiffness, is also misunderstood. “With arthritis, people are just like, ‘Kids can’t get arthritis.’ And I’m just breaking that stereotype as well,” Meadows said. Although her conditions can be difficult to manage, Meadows has found an online community that supports her and makes the experience more positive.
Glancing at her glucose monitor, junior Addy Meadows checks her blood sugar levels before making a TikTok. Because of her autoimmune diseases, Meadows has to be wary of certain things others don’t have to worry about, such as dietary restrictions, cross contamination and blood sugar. “I have Dexcom, and that shows me what my blood sugar is and it goes to my phone, so the first thing I do when I wake up is look at that,” Meadows said.
