About Life Beyond the Chart
Life Beyond the Chart is a storytelling platform for the chronic illness and rare disease community, built by patients, for patients, with practical wisdom at its core. It's the flagship publication of Chronic Life Media.
A Personal & Professional Mission
Since childhood, I've been drawn to the power of publishing. I remember how much fun I had producing a homemade family zine, and later, zines for my running club in New Jersey. That same passion has carried through decades in print and digital publishing, where I've seen firsthand the impact thoughtfully crafted content can have on readers.
After a decade working and consulting in patient advocacy, I started Chronic Life Media, a media and publishing initiative built on partnerships and relationships developed over those ten years.
Filling a Critical Gap
Chronic illness and rare disease affect millions of Americans, yet media coverage remains fragmented, often superficial, and rarely created by those with lived experience. Medical information abounds; authentic voices sharing practical wisdom are harder to find.
The chronic illness community deserves a dedicated multimedia platform where:
Patient voices lead the conversation rather than exist as footnotes
Practical strategies accompany emotional insights
Diverse experiences across conditions receive equal recognition
Professionals and amateurs living with chronic illness can showcase their expertise
Everyday people can share hard-won wisdom that might help someone else
Building a Sustainable Community
This isn't just about publishing content. It's about building something that lasts. Life Beyond the Chart aims to:
Give patients, caregivers, friends, and family a platform to share their experience and insight
Fairly compensate contributors, including creating income opportunities for writers living with chronic conditions
Support quality content through reasonable subscriptions, with accessible "pay what you can" options
Grow and evolve alongside its community, sustainably, for the long term
A Legacy of Practical Hope
Throughout my publishing career, I've been guided by a simple question: Does this help someone?
For Life Beyond the Chart, the answer is an unequivocal yes. By highlighting stories of resilience without veering into inspiration tropes, by pairing practical solutions with authentic experience, and by building a community where diverse voices thrive, this publication aims to be the resource I wish had existed for so many people I've known throughout my life.
Life Beyond the Chart represents both a professional culmination and a personal beginning, a chance to put everything I've learned about publishing toward something that genuinely improves lives, while building a sustainable foundation for the people who make it possible.I invite you to join us, as a reader, a contributor, or a supporter of this vital addition to the media landscape.
Joe Keenan
Founder, Life Beyond the Chart, a Chronic Life Media publication.