Stigma stories: Kamarra Bell-Wykes, theatre director, HEP Hero

LiverWELL

In this month’s stigma story we hear from Kamarra Bell-Wykes, a Yagera and Butchella woman from South-East Queensland. She is the creative director at Ilbijerri Theatre Company. Kamarra reflects on her time spent living with hepatitis C, including the difficulties of coming to terms with the virus at a young age and a bad experience accessing a health service. Despite being involved in the production of successful plays about hepatitis C such as Chopped Liver, Kamarra still found it extremely difficult to talk about her condition and rarely disclosed to those around her. It was only sometime after clearing the virus that Kamarra gradually began opening up about her experience, which she found strength and empowerment in doing and helped her produce VIRAL: Are you the cure?