Narcolepsy Advocate Eelia Haney Spotlighted in California’s Morgan Hill Times

Project Sleep is excited to highlight Rising Voices speaker Eelia Haney, whose narcolepsy story was recently featured in her local California newspaper, the Morgan Hill Times. This coverage brings important visibility to the realities of living with narcolepsy and the strength of advocates like Eelia who are helping reshape public understanding.

In the article, Eelia shares her long path to diagnosis and the daily challenges of managing excessive sleepiness, microsleeps, and unpredictable symptoms. Her experience reflects what many people with narcolepsy face. Delayed diagnosis is common, and the condition is often misunderstood or overlooked in medical settings.

It’s not just being extra tired. There’s so much more to it than just excessive daytime sleepiness.”

– Eelia Haney
via Morgan Hill Times

Also included is the perspective of Julie Flygare, President & CEO of Project Sleep, who said Haney’s story is all too common in people with narcolepsy. Flygare speaks to how delays in diagnosis can be attributed in part to the inaccurate portrayals and dramatization of narcolepsy for comedic effect in tv and film.

I thought narcolepsy was a joke too, before I was diagnosed. But I was quickly realizing in the first few months, it wasn’t a joke at all. It is a serious chronic condition.”

– Julie Flygare
via Morgan Hill Times

The feature also touches on a hopeful development. A newly approved treatment designed to target the underlying biological cause of type 1 narcolepsy offers new possibilities for people like Eelia. She explains that she is looking forward to having more consistent energy and more usable hours in her day.

Eelia’s advocacy is strengthened by her participation in Project Sleep’s Rising Voices program, which empowers people with sleep disorders to share their stories and educate their communities. Her voice helps reduce stigma, increase understanding, and inspire others navigating similar experiences.

Thank you to Eelia and the Morgan Hill Times for raising such important awareness of narcolepsy! Read Eelia’s full feature.

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