Camberley dancer Millie Bridger's journey of resilience and advocacy after illness

Camberley-based disability advocate Millie Bridger is using her experience of complex chronic illness to campaign for greater visibility, practical inclusion and better support for disabled people.

Millie Bridger was training as a professional dancer when a series of hospital admissions, operations and diagnoses changed the course of her life.

She lives with conditions including Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, gastroparesis and postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome. Feeding tubes and mobility aids are part of her daily life and remain visible throughout her work as a speaker, writer, model and health advocate.

Bridger’s advocacy is rooted in her local community. Based in the Camberley area, she hosts an Ehlers-Danlos Support UK group in Guildford, has shared her experiences on BBC Radio Berkshire and visits hospices, care homes and special educational needs schools with her therapy dog, Ralph.

She also founded Finding Happiness, Together, an online support community for people living with chronic illness and disability. Her work centres on resilience, representation and creating a meaningful life when circumstances change without warning.

In this exclusive interview with the Diversity & Inclusion Speakers Agency, Millie discusses choosing happiness while living with pain, rebuilding her life after illness, why disability representation matters and how employers can help people with chronic conditions thrive.

Q: What responsibility do you feel when sharing your experience of chronic illness publicly?

Millie Bridger: “I'm motivated to tell my story because I know how isolating chronic illness can feel, especially when you're young, really ambitious and suddenly facing a life that looks nothing like you imagined.

“Sharing honestly isn't always easy, but I've learned that vulnerability can create space for others to feel seen, too, which is a massive part of what I do.

“I want to be the person that I always needed when I was first diagnosed in 2018: someone real, visible, someone living a full and joyful life even in the midst of huge challenges.”

Q: How do you distinguish “choosing happiness” from toxic positivity while living with chronic illness?

Millie Bridger: “Choosing happiness is something that I base my whole life around. It means finding light even when everything around you looks dark.

“I can't always control my body or my symptoms, but I can always choose how I respond to them.

“That might look like getting outside, walking my dog, finding beauty in the small things or creating something that helps someone else.

“It's not toxic positivity. It's about creating joy alongside pain, not just in spite of it.”

Q: How have repeated flares, hospital stays and new diagnoses reshaped your understanding of resilience?

Millie Bridger: “Resilience is the thread running through every part of my story. It's not just about surviving. It's about rebuilding my whole life.

“Every time I've been knocked down by a flare, a hospital stay, a big life change or a new diagnosis, I've had to reimagine what my life would look like.

“Resilience doesn't mean that I don't struggle. I do every single day. It just means that I keep going, even if that looks very different from how I first imagined.”

Q: How can meaningful disability representation change both opportunity and public perception?

Millie Bridger: “I think representation matters because it changes what people believe is possible, both for disabled people and for the wider world.

“When we see disabled people in business, media, fashion and leadership, not just as a tick box, but as a valued voice, it changes the assumptions that hold us back.

“It also opens doors. Visibility creates opportunities, especially for people who have been overlooked for so long.”

Q: Which workplace practices make the greatest difference to employees living with chronic illness?

Millie Bridger: “One of the simplest but most powerful things a business can do is ask, “What do you need to thrive?”

“It sounds basic, but so many people with chronic illness are afraid to ask for help or disclose what they need.

“Flexibility is absolutely key. Whether that's remote options, adaptable hours or believing your employee when they say they're actually struggling, trust goes a very long way.

“Having disabled voices involved at every level, not just consulting when it's convenient, is how real inclusion happens.”

Q: What change do you want your public speeches to create for individuals and organisations?

Millie Bridger: “I want people to walk away feeling both uplifted and empowered, not just emotionally, but practically.

“Whether they're living with chronic illness or running a company, I hope they feel seen and inspired to think differently about inclusion, resilience and finding happiness along their own journey.

“My story is personal, but it's part of something much bigger. If it can spark empathy or action, even in the smallest of ways, then I've done my job.”

This exclusive interview with Millie Bridger was conducted by Tabish Ali of the Motivational Speakers Agency.