The prospect of life implies multiple things for different people, but one of the most defining aspects that we can all agree on is health. We take good health for granted, and when we get sick each of us chooses a different path: some ignore the symptoms, while some become scared, get help, or grow desperate. Hope is, however, what drives Paula Rusu to share her story about how she got diagnosed with tuberculosis and managed her recovery. She will also talk about her activism on the matter, disclosing her involvement in improving the standard of care for TB patients.

Paula Rusu is a journalist with 16 years of experience in Romanian television. Her life changed drastically in 2014 when a cough started to bother her. Her symptoms increased in intensity over the long months of visiting various doctors and taking numerous tests to finally be diagnosed with tuberculosis. She struggled and fought for her health, but from this devastating experience, she found a new purpose: health activism.

She started in 2016 as an independent journalist by sharing her story as a patient with TB on her personal blog, www.paularusu.ro, and over the course of seven years, she has covered many medical subjects that our society needs to be educated on. With one and a half lungs and a determination to envy, she is an important part of Screening TB Romania, the biggest national screening campaign for tuberculosis. Our speaker has made it her mission to change anything in her power about the shortcomings of the diagnostic process and treatment of tuberculosis in Romania, while also destigmatizing it.

Apart from her blog, she leads public campaigns aiming to modify the laws regarding tuberculosis and trying to improve patients’ chances of reentering society. Paula Rusu also has a podcast on YouTube, where she invites specialists from various fields: doctors, social workers, activists, and even patients, offering them the opportunity to make their stories heard.