Hey my beautiful loves! Today I want to share something truly special with y’all — my Bell’s Palsy Awareness Challenge. This isn’t just a simple eating challenge. It’s a heartfelt journey meant to bring more understanding and awareness to a rare condition that can happen to anyone, at any time.
How It All Began – The Story of She Living
It all started when I came across She Living, a young woman I mentioned in one of my previous videos. What touched me deeply was that only eight days after being diagnosed with Bell’s Palsy, she made a video dedicated to me. Can you imagine that? While struggling with facial paralysis on one side of her face, she still thought of doing something kind and meaningful for someone else.
I got the chance to talk to She Living over the phone, and her positivity was truly inspiring. That’s when she challenged me to take part in the Bell’s Palsy Awareness Challenge — and of course, I said yes right away!
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The Bell’s Palsy Challenge – Not as Easy as You Think
This challenge sounds simple: eat your favorite meal while covering one eye with a patch. The goal is to experience what someone with Bell’s Palsy goes through every single day.
At first, I thought, “Okay, that’s easy — it’s just one eye.” But once I actually did it, I realized how challenging it was! It’s not like being blindfolded — it’s totally different. When you cover one eye, you can still see, but your depth perception and spatial awareness get all messed up. It’s uncomfortable because your senses are out of balance, and you suddenly realize how much you rely on having everything working together.
For today’s challenge, I made Alfredo King Crab Boil, inspired by Sauce Queen (because she really is the queen of sauces!). It’s loaded with king crab meat, creamy Alfredo sauce, crispy bacon, sweet bell peppers, onions, corn, potatoes, eggs, and mozzarella cheese. I forgot to add mushrooms this time, but next time I’m definitely adding mushrooms and spinach too!
What Is Bell’s Palsy?
Before starting this challenge, She Living told me to do my research — and I did. Here’s what I learned:
Bell’s Palsy is facial paralysis caused by inflammation or damage to the cranial nerve that controls the muscles on one side of the face. We have 12 cranial nerves that control different facial movements, and when one gets “attacked,” it leads to paralysis on that side.
Unlike a stroke, Bell’s Palsy only affects the face, not the entire body. That’s one of the main differences doctors use to tell them apart.
A Rare Yet Frightening Condition
Did you know Bell’s Palsy affects about 200,000 people in the U.S. each year — roughly 1 in 5,000? It’s rare, but it can strike anyone, anytime.
What really shocked me was learning that you can go to bed feeling perfectly fine and wake up with one side of your face completely paralyzed. Imagine how terrifying that must feel.
The Symptoms – Through She Living’s Story
She Living told me about the night it happened to her. It started with severe ear pain and a throbbing migraine-like headache. Her husband asked if she needed medicine, but she went to bed anyway.
The next morning, she still had a headache. When she went to brush her teeth, she realized something was wrong — one side of her mouth felt completely numb. When she looked in the mirror, she saw that one side of her face had dropped.
She panicked, thinking she was having a stroke. But at the hospital, the doctor diagnosed her with Bell’s Palsy.
The Challenges People Face
From my research and conversations, I learned that Bell’s Palsy affects life in many ways:
1. Eye Problems
People with Bell’s Palsy often can’t blink or close one eye properly, which causes dryness. They need artificial tears and sometimes wear eye patches at night to protect their eyes while sleeping.
2. Eating Difficulties
Chewing becomes really hard because one side of the mouth doesn’t move. Taste can also be affected. She Living said food tasted “half gone,” like when you get your mouth numbed at the dentist — you just can’t taste or feel anything on that side.
3. Emotional and Psychological Effects
This might be the hardest part. I watched a video by Dyani Eats, who was diagnosed in 2010. She said it took her four years to regain her confidence. Four years, y’all! Imagine living that long feeling like you can’t smile normally, can’t lift your eyebrows, and constantly being stared at.
I also learned about Shay from JT Mafia, who developed Bell’s Palsy at just nine years old. Kids can be cruel — they tease what they don’t understand — and it broke my heart to think about how that affects a child’s self-esteem.
Even adults struggle. They have to deal with people’s stares, endless questions, and the emotional weight of explaining their condition over and over.
Can It Be Cured?
Unfortunately, there’s no guaranteed cure for Bell’s Palsy. The good news is that most people do recover — sometimes in as little as two weeks to six months. But recovery can take years for others. Some people regain almost everything, while others still show slight differences in facial movement.
Doctors usually prescribe antiviral and antibacterial medication, since Bell’s Palsy can be linked to viral infections. A home remedy I learned is using a warm compress twice a day, which helps stimulate nerve activity.
Causes – And the Truth About Stress
The most common cause is a viral infection, often something as simple as a virus that affects the ear.
But here’s the part that hit me the hardest: stress is also a major trigger.
Y’all, stress is not a joke. I hate stress. I do everything I can to avoid it. Worrying about things you can’t control or people’s opinions about you — that’s wasted energy.
If someone doesn’t like you, or talks about you, let them. They don’t have the power to decide your worth. They can’t send you to heaven or hell — only God can do that.
Stress ruins your health, especially as you get older. It can raise your blood pressure and cause all sorts of problems. Don’t let it control your life.
Prevention – A Lesson from She Living
One thing She Living told me that really stuck was this:
“Get checkups every six months, not just once a year.”
And she’s absolutely right. A lot can happen in a year — health issues can develop quietly. You might have something going on and not even know it.
That hit me hard. I had just done my annual checkup, and right after talking to her, I told myself, “I need to make it every six months.” Especially as we get older, that’s just smart.
And let’s be real — a lot of us, especially in the Black community, avoid going to the doctor. We’d rather self-treat, take aspirin, or try natural remedies because we’re scared of bad news. But we need to go. It could save your life.
My Challenge Experience
Now back to my dish — this Alfredo King Crab Boil was fire! Here’s how I made it:
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Sautéed onions and bell peppers in butter (forgot the mushrooms, next time I’ll add mushrooms and spinach)
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Added minced garlic (a must!)
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Seasoned with garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and red pepper flakes
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Added a splash of heavy cream and milk — just enough to keep it thick
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Mixed in 3–4 jars of Alfredo sauce
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Added two tablespoons of sugar to balance the flavor
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Stirred in mozzarella cheese
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Topped it all with scallions and crispy bacon
It was delicious, but eating it with one eye covered was tougher than I expected. I had to adjust constantly because my depth perception was off, and for a moment, I truly felt what Bell’s Palsy patients experience every single day.
From the Heart
I’m not gonna lie, y’all — this topic made me emotional. I had to hold back tears while filming.
I want to encourage everyone: take the Bell’s Palsy Awareness Challenge. Not for me, not even for She Living, but for everyone fighting this condition. They deserve to be seen, supported, and loved.
Pray for those living with Bell’s Palsy — for She Living, for Dyani Eats, for Shay and JT Mafia, and for everyone else we may never know by name.
And pray that none of our loved ones ever have to face this. Even two weeks with facial paralysis can affect your body, your mind, and your spirit. It’s not something small.
Special Thanks
Thank you to She Living — a strong, selfless woman who started this challenge to bring awareness, even while battling it herself.
Thank you to Dyani Eats for sharing her story of resilience and recovery.
Thank you to Shay and JT Mafia for speaking up about her journey that began at just nine years old.
And of course, thank you to Sauce Queen for inspiring this amazing Alfredo recipe — girl, you truly are the queen of sauces!
Final Thoughts
Before meeting She Living, I had no idea what Bell’s Palsy even was — and that’s exactly why spreading awareness is so important.
So please, take care of yourselves. Get your checkups. Avoid stress. Listen to your body. If you ever feel pain in your ear or severe headaches, don’t ignore it — get checked immediately.
And most importantly, spread the word. Make your own Bell’s Palsy Challenge video, share your thoughts, and help others learn. You never know — this knowledge might one day save someone’s life.
I love y’all so much. Don’t forget to like, comment, subscribe, and share this message so we can spread awareness together.
Peace out, my loves! ❤️
