
the backstory
My name is Kimberly Warner. I am a filmmaker living in Oregon. In 2015 I developed cervicogenic vertigo and Mal de Débarquement Syndrome or MdDS that manifests as a constant perception of rocking, bobbing and swaying. The unsteadiness that I live with feels like the ground is constantly moving under my feet. Laying down or closing my eyes does not make it stop. Whatever surface I’m on trampolines or turns to liquid and my equilibrium is always trying to correct for it. There is no cure.
As months turned to years, my sense of self dissipated as my relationship to my body, my career and my community faded. Some call this the dark night of the soul or midlife crisis. Because there is terminology for it means I’m not alone. Our stories are different but many of us know what it feels like to try to hold onto the last skinny roots of a former identity as the entire cliff falls away. Just below the veneer of “the perfect life” we all know that living is hard and the list of reasons really isn’t that long. Fear. Loneliness. Helplessness. Pain. It’s a scary place to be when you think the rest of the world is going to keep on going while you’re stuck trying to figure out how to put your pants back on.
When medical science, religion and green drinks have failed, we are left with a choice. We can continue to say no to our experience and chase cures until the day we drop. Or we can say “yes” - yes to the messy, uncomfortable, painful journey of being alive and learn to incorporate it into a bigger, fuller definition of ourselves. Unfixed Media Productions shines a light on the inevitable peaks and valleys of living with an incurable, chronic condition through an expanding portfolio of projects including a docu-series, podcast, round-table webcast and feature documentary film.
These are the stories of humans who are saying “yes” - the ones who believe their worth lives in the nexus of pain, uncertainty, gratitude and purpose. Through exploring these stories I hope to uncover insights and universal truths that can encourage us all to live more fully and radically Unfixed.

Vestibular warriors share their stories in an on-going docuseries
Life Rebalanced Chronicles began in late 2021, in conjunction with Vestibular Disorder’s Association ‘s Balance Awareness Week. Each episode is focused on a part of the human experience impacted by living with vestibular dysfunction.


meet the cast of season 1 and 2
meet the cast of season 3
balance is easily taken for granted
However, when the fragile vestibular organs of the inner ear and brain are damaged by illness or injury, anyone can lose the ability to balance. Vestibular dysfunction affects people physically, mentally, and emotionally. Simple tasks, such as shopping and doing laundry, become obstacles to overcome. People afflicted by vestibular impairment are forced to adapt to a "new normal," and in doing so, often discover a life rebalanced.
Life Rebalanced Chronicles is a docuseries created in collaboration with the Vestibular Disorders Association (VeDA) that shares the stories of vestibular warriors. None of them expected to be knocked down by a vestibular disorder. All of them have looked fear, anxiety, and loneliness in the face and said, "You will not define me." Theirs is a message of hope to millions of people who struggle with invisible chronic illness - you are seen, you are heard, you are valued.

Executive Producer - Vestibular Disorders Association
Producers - Unfixed, Vestibular Disorders Associations
Director - Kimberly Warner
Editor - Michael Wolcott
