- At 19, Pree was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, leading to physical and emotional challenges, including incontinence, which she struggled with while balancing college life.
- Despite initial resistance from her family, Pree shared her journey on YouTube and began using her platform to raise awareness and break the stigma surrounding incontinence.
- Overcoming personal struggles, including bullying and depression, Pree now advocates for self-acceptance, partnering with adult diaper brands to further destigmatize incontinence.
In a world dominated by social media, where curated content takes center stage, the harsh realities of living with a chronic illness are rarely shared.
For those navigating conditions that aren’t immediately visible, the struggle isn’t always just physical but also mentally and emotionally taxing. This stigma often remains in the shadows, leaving many to suffer in silence.
For Pree, diagnosed with multiple sclerosis at 19, finishing college amid relapses was a challenge. “With multiple sclerosis — at the time, I didn’t know I had that — it causes brain fog,” Pree tells PEOPLE exclusively.
“I struggled a lot with that in my first year at the university. I failed two courses, and it was really hard for me because I felt stupid. I went into my second year at university, only to then get an MS diagnosis because at this point, I couldn’t even walk at all. So I was like, ‘OK, something is clearly wrong with me, and I need to figure this out.’”
Despite feeling a sense of relief upon being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, after years of struggling to walk a straight line without tripping and feeling exhausted, being in her second year at university only made things more confusing for Pree.
“They gave me a diagnosis, and that was really hard for me too because it was my second year in the university, and it’s like, what are you supposed to think about first? Your health [or] your education?” she adds.
Pree eventually decided to open up about her journey online, sharing her first video on YouTube in 2019. Little did she know that this simple act of vulnerability would lead her to become the world’s first “adult diaper influencer,” raising awareness about incontinence and breaking the stigma surrounding chronic illness.
“My very first video on YouTube was called ‘My Multiple Sclerosis Journey,’ a video that I thought would only get six views, [and] now has over 18,000,” she says with a smile. “I was just like, ‘Wow. People are actually hearing my voice.’ It didn’t get views right away, obviously, but over time, I was getting recognized for talking about something no one really wants to talk about.”
Pree’s family wasn’t fully supportive of her decision to share her story on YouTube, as they were concerned it might not be the best move for her future. Still, the Canadian influencer was determined to immerse herself in her passion project.
She had been struggling with depression due to her health issues and saw it as a way to regain control. The glimmer of hope that people would respond to her content online kept her going.
“I didn’t have anyone to talk to. I felt very depressed and lonely,” she says. “I was just like, I want to see if people actually reach out to me online. So I did that, and that’s when I started to notice people actually reaching out to me, and it made me feel so good. It was like, ‘Wow, OK, so I’m actually so glad I ignored the noise and just kind of went for it.’”
Pree had initially planned on becoming an elementary school teacher, a path her family continued to insist on, but as her health issues worsened, the mere thought of chasing after little kids only made her more anxious.
“When I was done with university, I was having this whole mental breakdown because my family was like, ‘You should be a teacher now,’ and ‘You should have that nine-to-five job,” [meanwhile] I can’t even function properly for one hour, let alone eight hours on a regular shift.”
At this point, Pree — who goes by the name Bumble Pree on YouTube — wasn’t just grappling with her professional path; she was also facing the complexities of her personal life. Like many women her age, she was thinking about the future, not just in terms of career but relationships as well.
By this point, the YouTuber had been dealing with incontinence regularly, which made everything even more complicated.
“I would go on dates and I would have soaked bottoms, and it was just very traumatizing and embarrassing,” she says. “The guys would look at me like I was dirty, but I was like, it’s not my fault.”
This also inspired her to fill the gap in the world’s understanding of her condition, as there weren’t many people in her age group wearing adult diapers or using mobility aids.
“I always thought because I was young, it didn’t make sense for me to be wearing an adult diaper because it’s only babies or the elderly that wear them,” she says. “So I wanted to be that person. I wanted to be that person I was looking for eight years ago when I didn’t have anyone to talk to, and now that I am that person, it makes me feel so happy. It’s like, wow, I wish I had myself eight years ago.”
The coming-of-age journey is already confusing enough, but for young women, the pressure of navigating career choices and relationships, while trying to find themselves in a world full of expectations, can be incredibly overwhelming.
Add the challenges of living with a chronic illness, with debilitating and unpredictable side effects, and it can feel like the weight of the world is too much to bear.
“I was bullied a lot, and with having been bullied a lot, I was also suicidal. I just didn’t value my life, and I was just a really sad person. I ended up getting a tattoo [of the word hope],” she says when asked how she stays positive during the ups and downs. “Every single time I look at that, it motivates me to keep pushing through because if I got through that, I could get through anything.”
Pree’s pain drove her passion, and after nearly seven years of creating content and uploading to YouTube, she finally feels like she’s found her purpose. Last year, she partnered with adult diaper brands NorthShore and InControl to raise awareness about incontinence and help break the stigma surrounding it.
“When I partnered with them, I was really nervous about it because I was like, is it weird that I want to work with them?” she explains. “So when I sent them an email, I wasn’t sure how they were going to respond, but they were so supportive about everything.”
One of the companies offered Pree a black diaper, which ended up being a few sizes too big, but she still made the most of it.
“This black diaper honestly looked like a garbage bag,” she recalls with a laugh. “So at that point, I was like, you know what? Instead of being so negative about everything, how about I find the humor in the things that I can’t control?”
She took to social media shortly after to share a Reel, and the response from her followers turned out to be much more positive than she had expected.
“People thought it was so funny because they’re like, ‘Oh my gosh, Pree, you make everything so normal. You laugh about the things no one wants to laugh about,’” she says. “I don’t feel like I had a choice, so I was like, let’s just laugh together.”
As Pree’s platform grew, she found herself encountering some unexpected attention, including from fetishists who approached her due to her adult diaper content.
“People wear adult diapers because they’re either having incontinence or because they’re ABDL [Adult Baby Diaper Lovers],” she explains. “People in the ABDL community, a few of them do say inappropriate things, but the vast majority of them are so supportive.”
“That was really nerve-wrecking for me,” she continues. “Some people did say inappropriate things, and I just didn’t want them to think I was in the ABDL community. I just wanted to put my voice out there being incontinent.”
Despite not becoming a teacher, Pree has still embraced her role as an educator. By having the courage to talk about her illness and embrace her vulnerability, she has opened the door for others to do the same.
“It allowed me to understand I needed to love myself more,” she says when asked how her experience with MS has impacted her identity, self-confidence and role on social media.
“The one thing I want to tell people is that being different is what’s so beautiful. Stop trying to perfect your imperfections and just embrace what you can’t control.”
If you or someone you know needs mental health help, text “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor.
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