Meet the Founder
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Podcast Host & Producer
Kerly Bwoga
Kerly Joy Bwoga is a passionate advocate, entrepreneur, and podcaster dedicated to improving the lives of people living with central disorders of hypersomnia, including narcolepsy, idiopathic hypersomnia, and Kleine–Levin syndrome. Born in Jamaica, she moved to London, UK, at the age of seven. Raised by parents who were both teachers, Kerly developed a strong sense of service and advocacy from an early age. As a teenager, she volunteered as a camp counselor, worked with children with special needs, and developed a lifelong love for animals, photography, the outdoors, and building meaningful connections.
Kerly studied Music Production and Development at university, but her life path shifted when she began experiencing symptoms of a sleep disorder at age 15. She was later formally diagnosed with Narcolepsy Type 1 at age 18. Over the years, she has undergone multiple sleep studies and has also been diagnosed with Sleep Apnea, REM Behavioral Disorder, Restless Leg Syndrome, and Periodic Limb Movement Disorder. Having lived most of her life with a sleep condition, Kerly brings both lived experience and deep empathy to her advocacy and professional work.
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Her advocacy journey began organically within online Facebook support groups, where she supported others navigating similar challenges. This grassroots involvement later expanded through Narcolepsy UK, where she volunteered and raised awareness through creative initiatives such as designing and selling t-shirts, bags, and badges, as well as supporting engagement at conferences. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Kerly also helped host and facilitate online support meetings, ensuring continued connection and support for the community during a critical time.
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This growing passion led to the founding of NapsForLife CIC, a nonprofit organisation dedicated to empowering individuals affected by central disorders of hypersomnia through education, storytelling, and peer support. The organisation works to raise public awareness and improve understanding across healthcare, employment, and wider society.
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Kerly is also the creator and host of the Narcolepsy Navigators Podcast, an international platform featuring conversations with patients, clinicians, researchers, advocates, athletes, and parents from around the world. Through this work, she has built strong connections across the global sleep and rare disease communities. In addition to her nonprofit work, Kerly is a patient partner with Savvy Cooperative, has taken part in speaking engagements and panel discussions, including Health Europe 2025 in Amsterdam, and has previously written for Health Union, contributing patient-centred content grounded in lived experience and health education.
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Through NapsForLife CIC, Kerly and the wider team welcome collaborations, speaking engagements, media features, research partnerships, and sponsorship opportunities that align with improving care, awareness, and quality of life for people living with central disorders of hypersomnia.
Narcolepsy Navigators and NapsForLife acknowledge and thank Iris Vasconcelos for her contributions during a formative period of our journey.
Her involvement supported early brand direction and community-facing efforts. We wish her well in her future endeavors.
Meet The Team
We’re a passionate group of advocates, storytellers, and community builders united by a common goal: to raise awareness and drive change for people living with sleep disorders like narcolepsy, idiopathic hypersomnia, and more.
Each of us brings unique skills, creativity, and lived experience. Together, we use our stories to educate, reduce stigma, and make sure no one feels alone. At NapsForLife, every voice matters, every story counts, and every connection brings us closer to a world that truly understands sleep disorders.
Sakhara Johnson, Digital Content Operations Manager+ Co-Host
Sakhara Johnson is a passionate advocate, content creator, and tech-savvy leader within the sleep health and narcolepsy community. Diagnosed with Narcolepsy with Cataplexy over ten years ago, she has become a pillar of strength, support, and storytelling across both local and national networks.
A dedicated volunteer and advocate, Sakhara has supported numerous national sleep conferences, exhibitions, and summits—sharing her lived experience, amplifying awareness efforts, and uplifting individuals navigating similar diagnoses. Her commitment to community outreach and peer support has earned her recognition as a trusted and compassionate voice within the narcolepsy and broader chronic illness communities.
In 2024, Sakhara joined the Narcolepsy Navigators Podcast Team, where she first shared her personal diagnosis story—sparking a new chapter that blended advocacy with creativity and technology.
Today, she serves as a Digital Content Operations Manager and Co-Host, overseeing podcast production workflows, content planning, publishing, and distribution. She supports show development, manages technical operations, and helps shape meaningful, informative episodes that elevate underrepresented voices in sleep health.
Whether she’s behind the microphone, managing production, editing content, or volunteering her time, Sakhara brings intention and excellence to everything she does.
Her work reflects a heart for advocacy, a mind for digital innovation, and a mission to ensure that no one navigating life with sleep disorders ever feels alone.
Christine Donaghy, N. Ireland Representative & Co-Host
Christine is a passionate narcolepsy advocate dedicated to raising awareness, supporting early diagnosis, and helping others feel less alone in their journey. After navigating her own path to understanding life with narcolepsy, she began sharing her experiences through her blog and creative projects, aiming to bridge the gap between medical facts and real-life experiences. With a warm, open style, Christine uses her platforms — including her vlog series and written resources — to demystify narcolepsy, highlight its impact on daily life, and inspire others to seek answers when something feels “off.” She believes that sharing honest stories can spark understanding, reduce stigma, and lead to faster, more accurate diagnoses. When she’s not advocating, Christine enjoys creating calming stationery, exploring nature, and finding beauty in the small, quiet moments of life.
Mathilda Crisp, Teen Representative & Co-Host
Hi everyone, my name is Mathilda and I have NT1. I’ve had it since I was 3 and for clarification I’m now 19. I enjoy colouring, painting, crafts, reading, watching tv, playing video games, and learning new things. I also have two kitties which I absolutely adore. As for what it means to be a part of this team I’d say it’s pretty amazing. I enjoy having the opportunity to help others as well as spread awareness for sleep disorders. I hope that you have a great rest of your day!! It was lovely to write to you!!
Bernadette Umstead, US Representative & Co-Host
Bernadette, born in California, grew up in a home where disability was acknowledged without stigma. Her early experiences — her mother's vision loss, her sister's heart condition, and her own mobility challenges — shaped her deep empathy and commitment to advocacy. She began fundraising and championing marginalized voices in Sacramento, supporting people with disabilities, bullied students, and those facing legal challenges. After developing symptoms of Narcolepsy Type 1 in 1992, misdiagnoses delayed treatment, deepening her understanding of how invisible illnesses are misunderstood. She now focuses on shifting the conversation from treatment to cure, advocating for sleep loss to be recognized as a serious health issue with psychological consequences. Since joining Naps for Life in 2020, Bernadette has brought her lived experience and passion to the forefront, fighting for better representation and mental health support for those navigating invisible disabilities and chronic sleep disorders.
Ruby Bennett, Social Media Manager + UK Representative
Hi, I’m Ruby, from the Cotswolds, UK. I was diagnosed with narcolepsy Type 2 last year, at 19, after an eight-year journey to find answers.
Receiving my diagnosis gave me clarity and inspired me to use my experience to support others navigating life with the condition, as growing up I didn’t have any around me.
I left school at 16 and have worked in childcare since, currently working as a nanny in my hometown. I am passionate about raising awareness, challenging stigma, and helping people feel seen and understood. My goal is to advocate for better understanding of narcolepsy while encouraging others to pursue their dreams — mine includes one day moving to Australia and creating meaningful, inspiring social media content full time.
I’m proud to share my story and be part of a community that empowers and uplifts those living with narcolepsy.
Liz, Co-Host
Liz is a sociable, creative and empathetic person who loves meeting new people and diving into their stories. She was diagnosed with narcolepsy one week before she started university in 2013, aged 18. Liz now works as speech and language therapist, working with children and young people. Her passion for advocating for others with needs or differences, and the skills she’s developed as a therapist, mean that she has many strengths as a narcolepsy advocate. She also has a lot of experience advocating for herself in the workplace.
After meeting Kerly at a narcolepsy conference and being one of the first guests on the podcast, she quickly realised she’d love to be a co-host and get more involved in the narcolepsy community.
A year and a half later, Liz has interviewed many guests on the podcast and has really benefited from meeting a variety of people with narcolepsy- feeling supported and less alone. Liz is excited to see where the future takes her and to continue on her advocacy journey.
Chloe Chea, Teen Representative & Co-Host
Chloe Chea is a student and advocate born and raised in Texas with a Chinese Cambodian background. Diagnosed with Narcolepsy Type 1 in 2021 at the age of 12, she is passionate about raising awareness for sleep disorders and empowering others navigating similar challenges. Her firsthand experience managing narcolepsy in academic and social settings fuels her commitment to advocacy, peer support, and bridging the gap between lived experience and understanding among younger populations. Chloe is actively involved in her school community and seizes opportunities to speak about narcolepsy and raise awareness whenever possible. In searching for outlets to deepen her impact while in high school, she discovered NapsForLife and Narcolepsy Navigators, whose work inspired her to become more involved in the sleep disorder community and eventually join the team to help carry its mission forward. Though still early in her journey, Chloe is determined to make a lasting difference. She works at her family’s donut shop in her spare time, and plans to pursue a career in healthcare in hopes of helping to build a future where chronic illnesses like narcolepsy are better understood, accommodated, and treated with compassion, while fostering an empathetic and safe environment for all.
Heather Korbey, UK Representative & Co-Host
Heather Korbey is a creative person who has dedicated time to help others. Active as a community leader who has been self employed running a community cafe in the UK Also an advocate for people with sleep disorders, primarily narcolepsy, but sleep paralysis and Insomnia as well. Heather grew up on a farm and has had narcolepsy from age 8. As expected it affected every area of her life through school, work and more until she was diagnosed at the age of 33 and given medication which changed everything. Having the experience of both being medicated and not in her adult life Heather is happy to liaise with different sectors to raise awareness of Narcolepsy. Awareness means faster diagnosis for others, an important aspect as it has given Heather a new lease of life. Heather does regular interviews on local radio both local and online, has written articles for local magazines, and been invited to talk at WI events and at the Royal Society of Medicine, London while volunteering with charity Narcolepsy UK. Heather currently works with Action for Happiness and is an ongoing facilitator for the Happiness Habits course.
Fred, Researcher, Project Manager, Co-host
Fred is a sleepy person from North Carolina, USA. They like to travel with their dogs and goat and see all that nature has to offer. Fred began volunteering with Narcolepsy Navigators as a podcast audio editor in October 2024 and loves to hear and help share stories from other sleepy people.