Can you be friends with someone you’ve never met in person?
The members of our online health community – now 300, 000+ patients strong – think so. In fact, many of them say they depend on other members for support and encouragement, and for the all-important reminder that they are not alone.
As evidence, here is a touching poem written by a newer PatientsLikeMe member. Although he wishes to remain anonymous, he says that he wrote the poem to “uplift people who feel like no one understands them.”
Dedicated to Internet Friends
It’s strange to have a friend
that you have never hugged,
lightly touched their arm,
or looked into their eyes.
But you have touched their soul
felt their heart
been embraced by their warmth of being.
A friend unseen is not a friend untouched.
The eyes of the soul will gaze,
the heart will embrace
the image will stand tall
but only in a dream.
Want to connect with those who can truly relate? No matter what health condition you have – from multiple sclerosis to fibromyalgia to Parkinson’s disease – find others like you at PatientsLikeMe.
