Lisa Wang went from being an athlete to being in a wheelchair at the age of 14. Now, she's the winner of take a pain check's 2026 STEM Without Limits Scholarship. What happens when a life-changing chronic illness diagnosis at age 14 inspires a lifelong mission to find a cure?In this episode of the Take a Pain Check Podcast, Lisa Wang shares her journey navigating juvenile ankylosing spondylitis from enduring severe diagnostic delays, debilitating pain, and mobility loss to becoming an award-winning student researcher fighting for the future of pediatric rheumatology.We discuss:- What it is like being diagnosed with a severe rheumatic disease in high school- Overcoming mobility challenges, crutches, and the stigma of an "old person's disease"- Navigating the fear of biologics, injections, and complex treatment plans- How Lisa turned her personal health struggle into academic and research excellence- Her work in the lab studying cellular biomarkers to discover new treatments- Winning top scholarships and paving the path toward becoming a clinician-scientist- The power of patient story-sharing in driving scientific research forwardHow do you transform your greatest physical pain into your biggest life achievement?Watch the full conversation to learn how resilience, patient advocacy, and scientific curiosity can turn a diagnosis into a groundbreaking career.Don’t forget to like, comment, subscribe, and share this episode.Take a Pain Check's Socials:https://www.takeapaincheck.com/https://www.instagram.com/takeapaincheck_/ https://www.tiktok.com/@takeapaincheck / take-a-pain-check https://www.linkedin.com/company/take-a-pain-check/?originalSubdomain=ca / thttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRF07SYaN-9fbatNCKhL08ghttps://www.x.com/takeapaincheckDonate today: https://www.gofundme.com/f/takeapainc...#JuvenileArthritis #ArthritisAwareness #PediatricRheumatology#Rheumatology #scholarships #ChronicIllness