Stephanie 💤

When I was 13, I joined my middle school cheerleading team. I loved that I could perform while also showing strength and athleticism.

It definitely wasn’t easy, though, with daily after-school practices and weekend practices that lasted up to eight hours. I dealt with a lot of sleepiness and would zone out whenever I wasn’t actively stunting or practicing. At the time, it just seemed like an annoying quirk that frustrated my coach.

A month after our last competition of the season, I was diagnosed with narcolepsy type 2. #Narcolepsy is a neurological sleep disorder that affects the brain’s ability to regulate sleep-wake cycles.

I was able to start treatment before my second year of cheerleading, and while I still faced challenges, I grew as an athlete and even got my back handspring—something that surprised both my coach and me.

That’s why seeing #Stumble use narcolepsy as a joke is so disheartening. Watching a cheerleader with narcolepsy reduced to a punchline is frustrating when I know firsthand that people with this condition are strong, capable, and determined.

Narcolepsy is not a joke or a punchline. It’s a real condition that deeply affects people’s lives. Accurate and compassionate representation can change how the world understands narcolepsy, and I hope @nbc will work with the community to get it right. To learn more and sign the petition, please visit the link in my bio.