IELTS Liz - My Personal Story

Summary

After nearly nine years, the creator returns to YouTube to explain their long absence. They share the story of battling a severe, incurable illness that led to physical and emotional struggles, including abuse and neglect. Despite these challenges, they remained determined to fight for recovery, even using limited moments of well-being to build a free educational website for others. While still facing health risks, they express excitement to gradually return to creating videos and offer a wealth of resources for learners. Their journey emphasizes resilience, self-belief, and the importance of kindness in the face of adversity.

Takeaways

• 😀 The speaker has not posted a video in 9 years, last posting in 2015 due to a serious illness.
• 😷 The illness caused significant health challenges, making everyday activities, like walking and even lifting a fork, extremely difficult.
• 🌍 Before starting the YouTube channel, the speaker was teaching abroad and began experiencing unwellness that progressively worsened.
• 🩺 The speaker was diagnosed with a severe illness, which has no cure or treatment, leaving them with little hope for recovery at first.
• 💪 Despite the grim prognosis, the speaker fought to recover, taking small steps like working on a website during brief moments of wellness.
• 💻 The website created, IELTSlist.com, was designed to offer free IELTS preparation materials, lessons, tips, and advice.
• 📹 Making videos was incredibly difficult due to the speaker's physical condition, but they persevered to create educational content despite the pain.
• 💔 The speaker faced not only health struggles but also abuse and neglect during their illness, which deeply affected their well-being.
• ⚖️ Abuse and neglect can happen to anyone, regardless of background, and the speaker encourages victims to recognize it's not their fault and they deserve support.
• 💡 The speaker is planning to return to YouTube with more videos, though their health still limits how much they can do at once.
• 📚 Despite ongoing health challenges, the speaker remains committed to providing educational resources and sharing knowledge with their audience.

Q & A

What led to the creator's disappearance from YouTube for nine years?

The creator disappeared due to a severe illness that caused significant physical and mental limitations, making it impossible to continue making videos or engaging with their audience.

How did the illness first manifest for the creator?

The creator started feeling unwell while teaching abroad. Initially, they didn't pay much attention to the symptoms, but over time, their condition worsened, leading to a collapse and a realization that something serious was wrong.

What was the initial diagnosis and how did it impact the creator's life?

The creator was diagnosed with a severe form of an illness that had no known cure or treatment. The doctor explained that the disease could last for many years, possibly for the rest of their life, leading to a dramatic loss of physical function.

What were the most challenging physical symptoms the creator experienced during their illness?

The creator faced extreme difficulty in moving any part of their body, including struggling to lift a fork, experiencing pain throughout their body, and eventually losing the ability to speak. These symptoms made even basic tasks incredibly difficult.

How did the creator manage to continue working on their website and videos despite their illness?

The creator utilized the brief periods of clarity and physical capability (10-15 minutes each day) to slowly build their website, create content, and make videos. Each task, like setting up a camera, was exhausting and required multiple attempts.

What kind of website did the creator aim to build, and how did it come to fruition?

The creator dreamed of building a free arts preparation website offering practice lessons, model answers, tips, and advice. Despite limited physical ability, the creator dedicated small moments of clarity each day to work on this project, which later became one of the largest free IELTS preparation websites.

What happened to the creator's health at the end of 2015, and how did it affect their future plans?

At the end of 2015, the creator's health deteriorated again after a period of improvement, and they realized that recovery might not be possible in the near future. This setback made it difficult for the creator to continue their plans to create videos regularly.

How did the creator cope with both their illness and abuse during this time?

During their illness, the creator also faced abuse and neglect, which further complicated their situation. Despite these challenges, they focused on empowering others through their content and emphasized the importance of respect, kindness, and support for all people, especially those going through abuse.

Why does the creator choose not to disclose the name of their illness?

The creator chose not to disclose the specific name of their illness due to the personal and difficult nature of the condition. They expressed that they are not ready to share these details yet and requested privacy regarding their health.

Is the creator planning to return to YouTube, and if so, what is their approach?

The creator plans to return to YouTube, though they are unsure how many videos they can produce due to the ongoing nature of their illness. They will start slowly with a few videos and monitor their physical limitations, while encouraging viewers to explore their website for valuable IELTS preparation materials.