Interview with MCS Advocate + Artist

by Julie Genser | May 7, 2025 | Art, Chemical Sensitivity News | 1 comment

**MCS Advocate and Artist Marie LeBlanc**

The Your Indoor Air podcast has interviewed Planet Thrive member and MCS Advocate/Artist Marie LeBlanc. You can watch the video on Facebook or listen to the podcast Multiple Chemical Sensitivity: Life on the Road Interview with Marie LeBlanc. Here is their recap:

“Imagine living in a van—not for adventure, but for survival.

In our latest episode, artist and advocate Marie LeBlanc shares her powerful story of living with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS)—a condition so severe that fragrances, pesticides, mold, and even Wi-Fi can trigger debilitating symptoms.

From organ failure to losing her home, Marie’s journey is a sobering look at what happens when everyday environments become toxic. But it’s also a story of resilience, creativity, and advocacy.

Tune in to hear:

-What has Marie’s health journey been like with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS)? (2:01)

-What happened when Marie went to doctors for a diagnosis, and what is her treatment plan? (7:56)

-What happened when Marie encountered mold in her environment? (12:27)

-Why did Marie end up living in a van, and what is van life like while living with MCS? (16:15)

-Marie shares her art and advocacy work. (19:14)

-What are common misconceptions about MCS? (22:30)

-Marie shares the changes she would like to see in society to better accommodate people living with MCS. (26:26)

-What is Marie’s biggest recommendation to prevent MCS, and what advice does she have for those currently living with it? (28:41)

This is a conversation that will challenge what you think you know about “safe” environments—and inspire action.

Watch the video on Facebook or listen on our podcast:.”

Author

Julie Genser

Julie's life was derailed over twenty years ago when she had a very large organic mercury exposure after she naively used a mouth thermometer to measure the temperature of just-boiled milk while making her very first pizza at home. The mercury instantly expanded into a gas form and exploded out the back of the thermometer right into her face. Unaware that mercury was the third most neurotoxic element on Earth, Julie had no idea she had just received a very high dose of a poisonous substance.

A series of subsequent toxic exposures over the next few years -- to smoke from two fires (including 9/11), toxic mold, lyme disease, and chemical injuries -- caused catastrophic damage to her health. While figuring out how to survive day-to-day, and often minute-to-minute, she created Planet Thrive to help others avoid some of the misdiagnoses and struggles she had experienced.

She has clawed her way over many health mountains to get to where she is today. She is excited to bring the latest iteration of Planet Thrive to the chronic illness community.

In 2019, Julie published her very first cookbook e-book called Low Lectin Lunches (+ Dinners, Too!) after discovering how a low lectin, gluten free diet was helping manage her chronic fascia/muscle pain.
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