Claire Wineland facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Claire Wineland
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Wineland in 2010
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| Born | April 10, 1997 Austin, Texas, U.S.
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| Died | September 2, 2018 (aged 21) San Diego, California, U.S.
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| Occupation | Activist, author |
| Years active | 2010–2018 |
Claire Lucia Wineland (born April 10, 1997 – died September 2, 2018) was an inspiring American activist, author, and social media personality. She used her voice to help children and families dealing with cystic fibrosis (CF). Cystic fibrosis is a serious genetic disease that mainly affects the lungs and digestive system. Claire sadly passed away at age 21 from a blood clot, just one week after having a double lung transplant.
Claire also co-wrote a book with her friend, Chynna Bracha Levin. It was called Every Breath I Take, Surviving and Thriving with Cystic Fibrosis and was published in 2012.
Contents
Claire's Early Life and Health Journey
Claire Wineland was born in Austin, Texas, with cystic fibrosis. From a young age, she loved to perform. She even appeared in a play called The Music Man when she was only four years old.
When Claire was 13, her lungs became very sick. Doctors had to put her into a special sleep, called a medically-induced coma, to help her body heal. She was given only a 1% chance of surviving, but after 16 days, she woke up!
Making a Difference: Claire's Place Foundation
After her amazing recovery at age 13, Claire was inspired by all the support her community gave her. She decided to start her own non-profit organization called the Claire's Place Foundation. A non-profit organization is a group that helps people without trying to make money.
The foundation's goal is to offer support to children with cystic fibrosis and their families. They provide both emotional help and financial aid.
How Claire's Place Foundation Helps
The foundation has two main programs:
- Support Families Network: This program connects families with other parent volunteers. These volunteers offer personalized support and advice on things like treatment and emotional well-being.
- Extended Hospital Stay Grants: This program gives money to families whose children have to stay in the hospital for at least 14 days because of cystic fibrosis. These grants help families pay for important things like rent, mortgage, medical bills, and other daily living costs.
Claire was also a popular speaker. She gave talks at many conferences around the world, including TEDx events. She even appeared in a TV show called Red Band Society and a documentary series called My Last Days.
Sharing Her Story: The Clairity Project and YouTube
Claire created "The Clairity Project," which was a website with educational videos and vlogs (video blogs) on YouTube. Her goal was to inspire and teach others about what it's really like to live with a serious illness. She wanted to change how people viewed illness and those who live with it.
A New Start on YouTube
After a break from making videos, Claire returned to YouTube in 2017 with a new channel under her own name. She explained that The Clairity Project had been run by a video editing company. Claire felt she didn't have much control over her own videos, even though she filmed them.
When her health got worse, she took a break. But then, the company wouldn't let her log into any of The Clairity Project accounts. Since there were no official agreements about who owned the project, the company kept making money from it. Claire said she didn't have the energy or money to take them to court.
Despite this challenge, Claire continued to make videos on her new YouTube channel. She uploaded nine more videos before she passed away.
Claire's Legacy
Claire Wineland left a lasting impact on many people. In 2016, Seventeen magazine named her one of their "17 Power Teens." She also received a Fox Teen Choice Award in 2015. In 2014, she was honored with the Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes and the Los Angeles Business Journal's Small Nonprofit of the Year Award.
The Film "Five Feet Apart"
The 2019 movie Five Feet Apart was inspired by Claire and dedicated to her. Claire even worked as a consultant for the film, sharing her experiences to make the story more real.
"Claire" Documentary
On the first anniversary of Claire's death, YouTube Originals released a documentary about her life called "Claire." It was directed and produced by Academy Award winner Nicholas Reed and Ryan Azevedo.
See also
- Disability rights movement
- Kirsty Howard
