Community Spotlight: Milnalis Diese
“ I’m legally blind, but I always had a clear vision for myself”
Milnalis or better known as ByTheMil, her IG handle, is a first generation Dominican Afro Latina creative and entrepreneur. Milnalis is a social media content creator and manager, and the founder of Created 2 Create. C2C provides a platform and community for creatives of color to network and seek out the tools to help them along their entrepreneurial journey. Milnalis has been blessed with many successes and has the accolades to show it. However to really understand Milnalis and her passion for what she does, you must hear her story and the harsh reality she was faced with at a young age. Milnalis at the age of 16 was diagnosed with Keratoconus, three eye doctors told her to forget college because she’d be wasting her mother’s money. Keratoconus is a severe eye condition that gets worse every three years. Since 16 years old she has been legally blind.
Milnalis was determined to create the life she wanted for herself. Although every year her vision got worse, she worked hard to finish college and never saw quitting as an option. Throughout these years she also worked six to eight jobs while pursuing her degree.She was advised by doctors that by the age of 26 she was going to be completely blind. The eye surgery to save her vision cost over 5,000 which was not an expense Milnalis was ready for. Milnalis worked so much not only for herself, but to help her mother make ends meet as well. She wanted to save her mother from her medical financial burdens, but was struggling to find another solution.
Reluctant at first, Milnalis did not want to share her story on GoFundMe because of the level of privacy she’d be letting into her life. She was unsure if people would actually support her cause, and did not want to appear as if she was doing this to seek attention.Her best friend eventually convinced her, and she shared her story on GoFundMe to crowdfund her eye surgery.
“I was taken aback by how many people believed in me… this experience changed my life ”
In just 48 hrs she reached her goal.The response she received was overwhelming, because she realized she underestimated the relatability of her story. Others with the same eye condition reached out with empathy and some inquired about the doctor she used. Sharing her story shocked many people, her past employers didn't even know that she was legally blind.
“No one understood the extent of my eye disease, all they saw was me getting another award or what I was doing… no one saw the tears and frustration. I would break down after a long day of classes in my dorm and wish things were easier, that my path was easier.”
Milnalis knew that she could have been negative at many points in her life, but this was the obstacle life threw at her and she had to conquer it before it conquered her. Her experience made her realize that we all need each other, we can’t do anything alone. Milnalis started Created 2 Create with the intention of giving back and helping others who won’t come across the same opportunities she has been blessed with. With C2C her goal was to break the barriers between creatives and entrepreneurs who had a college degrees and didn't, and create a space where they can network authentically based on their skill sets.
“The power of community saved my life”
Milnalis' story touched many people’s hearts, and one of those happened to be Drew Barrymore. Yesterday Milnalis got the opportunity to tell her story on The Drew Barrymore show. Drew Barrymore gifted her with her own C2C headquarters. The space is bright and comfy curated to match Milnalis’ brand aesthetic.
Check it out below, and tune into Milnalis on The Drew Barrymore Show!
