Conversations with Lillia Mora

Today we’d like to introduce you to Lillia Mora.

Hi Lillia, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes my junior year of college. This diagnosis added even more turbulence to a chaotic time in my life. It was a diagnosis I rejected wholeheartedly. For years I lived with a “F*** this, I’m still doing what I want!” mindset that constantly left me grappling with high high’s and low low’s. It was a lot of things, but at the basis of it: it was LONELY.

Fast forward a couple years later – the pandemic forced me into trying a healthier lifestyle, *finally* accepting my diagnosis, and feeling more comfortable and open to allowing diabetes to play a bigger role in my life. I was beginning to feel more empowered than lost in my situation, and I realized just how good it felt to talk about it! With a professional background in Social Media, I started toying with the idea of posting about Diabetes online and beginning to build community around such an isolating diagnosis. I just needed to take the leap into doing so.

That leap came in the form of a kind father who intervened during a mental breakdown. I’m not a public cryer, but after days of grappling with my insurance company, the pharmacy, and my doctor in an effort to get my insulin prescription refilled, all it took was a call from my mom on my morning walk that started with a simple “how are you today?” that let the water works FLOW. I had my noise cancelling headphones so admittedly I have no idea how loud I was wailing, but it was loud enough to receive a tap on the shoulder and an “I hate to eavesdrop, but this sounds like an emergency situation. Both of my kids are Type 1. Do you need their extra insulin?”

In that moment, other than a resounding “YES”, my first thought was how incredibly supportive (and not to mention, literally lifesaving) it can be to have a community built around Diabetes. It was in that exact moment that I realized that it was more than a want – I NEEDED to start working towards building T1D community. I started the best I know how – through social media.

It’s been a little over 8 months since I started posting, and I’m so grateful for the community of “diabesties” I’ve built. I post every part of my journey and encourage others to share theirs. I’ve learned so much that I would have never known – life changing things like how the pump has given burnt out diabetics a second wind, down to little things like where people are storing their needles at home. I’m excited to continue to grow my mission to include virtual and in person events and I can’t wait to continue to harness the power of community to combat the loneliness of Diabetes.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It’s definitely been an interesting one! Learning to juggle a new way of life while also navigating graduating, career, identity as I moved through my 20s – my favorite way to put it is “they don’t call them growing pains because they are easy”. It’s been a rocky road full of highs and lows but all of it has brought me to where I am today.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
The basis of who I am and everything I do is connection and community. I think the reason I was put on this earth was to connect with people! I’ve worked in social for almost a decade now, learning the in’s and out’s of the world of social on the brand side, and I recently left to take my hand at growing my personal account (spoiler alert: the best strategy is usually throwing spaghetti at the wall). I take to my channels to share my story as a diabetic and as a human and I’m growing a community of “diabesties” so that we don’t feel alone in our diagnosis.

I also run the Venice branch of America’s biggest social wellness club – Coffee & Chill. It’s a place for people to connect over the shared thread of wellness: cold plunges, coffee, sauna trucks, and more, every other Sunday 🙂 Two of my best friends started it on their patio two years ago with a frigidaire they engineered into a cold plunge and a Breville, and now it’s the highlight of my (and many’s) week!

I’m really proud of my ability to grow and foster communities both online and in person. Connecting human to human over shared experiences is what life is all about 🙂

How can people work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
Literally always down to work, collaborate, or even just chat with anyone! Send me a DM on instagram I literally want to yap 24/7. I’m open to any new ideas, any thoughts, any proposals, just send them my way!!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://coffeeandchill.com
• Instagram: lillia.jpg