KNX Heroes: 2 O.C. students supporting kids with chronic illness

17-year-old Saara Dang and 16-year-old Rohan Soni are not your average teenagers.

Inspired by Dang's younger brother, Kevin, who was diagnosed with a chronic kidney disease at the age of four, they created a multifaceted project that highlights the challenges kids with chronic or mental illness may face.

Dang tells KNX Hero Host Heather Jordan , "Rohan and I are good family friends, and we were talking about how Kevin's not really sharing how he feels throughout his whole medical journey."

She said whether he was happy or sad, her brother wouldn't express what he was feeling. "So we wanted to make sure that we could make an outlet or just bring awareness to kids who live with chronic illnesses."

Dang said you wouldn't be able to identify that Kevin was suffering from a kidney disorder just by looking at him, and that is a common issue facing people with chronic illnesses.

That's where the idea for their documentary film came from. "We decided to create a film which was going to bring awareness to these kids," Dang said.

They interviewed experts throughout the mental health and chronic illness fields, along with the children they treat, to learn more about their experiences and how they cope.

Next, they developed a community support app for your phone called " DearMe. " (with a period at the end), which Soni created and coded.

According to the app's description, "Dear Me, The App is a simplistic digital journal for kids with chronic illnesses. We hope that this app will be an outlet for these kids while still providing positivity. The prompts are designed to stimulate gratitude while not avoiding reality."

Soni says that besides helping others, they have also learned a lot; finding courage and connection goes a long way. Dang's brother is doing well, having received a kidney transplant about a year ago.

You can find DearMe. on the Apple app store , and to connect with the project, click HERE . You can also follow the project on Instagram !

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