Listen to this Article
Meeting Diane Paylor is like stepping into a whirlwind of energy and purpose. An author, editor, cancer survivor, advocate and yoga instructor—she’s also a force of nature, reshaping every challenge life sends her way into something positive. In a conversation, her words hit with precision and purpose, leaving you both inspired and introspective. Diane has a way of making you see your own life through a sharper, more generous lens. Today, her work is rooted in advocacy, health and community, but her influence extends far beyond labels or titles.
When asked about how personal challenges have shaped her perspective, she doesn’t flinch. “You never know how life changes,” she begins, drawing us into a tale of her brother’s unexpected disability and the death of her mom, which shook the foundation of her world. One day, everything is steady, and the next, you’re standing knee-deep in chaos. But Diane doesn’t let the storm swallow her. Instead, she reflects: “You might not need help today, but tomorrow you could be the one standing in line, hoping someone sees you.”
Diane’s world shifted on its axis when her days of feeling unwell demanded she look inward and outward simultaneously. Her body whispered of trouble long before she listened, but when the message became a roar, Diane had no choice but to face it head-on. Hers wasn’t a casual tussle with discomfort; it was pain, hospital stays and that gut-deep knowledge that something wasn’t just off but wildly, frighteningly wrong.
For Diane, though, the thief also brought a gift: clarity. “You don’t know how much you’ve ignored yourself until your body forces you to pay attention,” Diane says. But she doesn’t speak of regret; she talks about awakening. “I used to think I’d always be the one helping others—family, friends, strangers. But then I realized I needed help. Real, deep help. That’s when Achievable Health entered my life.”
Achievable Health is an important pillar in Los Angeles for individuals and families navigating health challenges, particularly those with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). But Diane wasn’t part of their core demographic, which made her experience there both revelatory and affirming. “When I went to them, they didn’t care that I didn’t fit the profile,” Diane says. “They cared that I needed care.” And care they did. From physical health to mental well-being, the team at Achievable Health listened to Diane, to her words and what wasn’t said in the spaces between them.
Diane vividly recalls her first encounter with Nurse Practitioner Richardson at Achievable Health. “She didn’t just listen—she heard and even caught what I wasn’t saying. When I told her about my symptoms, she didn’t brush them aside or chalk them up to something trivial. She leaned into my fears and said, ‘We’re going to figure this out.’” That approach became a lifeline for Diane, leading to tests, referrals and eventually a diagnosis: cancer—a word heavy with implications, but in Achievable Health’s hands, it wasn’t the end for Diane. It was a beginning.
Cancer changes you. That’s a cliché until it’s your life, and what this meant for Diane was an overhaul—physically, emotionally and spiritually. “I used to be so functional,” she says. “Always moving, doing, organizing. And then . . . I wasn’t. It was like my body staged a rebellion, and my spirit had to follow.” But Achievable Health didn’t let her slip into despair. They crafted a net of care that went beyond the clinical: mental health support, community resources and an acknowledgement that Diane’s voice mattered.
That voice, as anyone who knows Diane can attest, is one of her superpowers. Whether through storytelling, advocacy, or writing, her voice resonates. “I think about the women I taught yoga to,” she reflects. “Black women, older women, women who’ve carried the world on their backs. Teaching them to breathe—just breathe—felt revolutionary. And as a board member at Achievable Health, I’m telling my story to help others breathe through their own challenges.”
Grateful for Achievable Health’s role in her survival, she joined their board to amplify the organization’s impact. She became not just a recipient of care but an architect of it for others. “Advocacy isn’t a job; it’s a responsibility,” she says. “Especially for those of us who’ve been given a second chance.”
It’s not just about medical care for Achievable Health either. They are reshaping the narrative around what health equity looks like. As Diane puts it, “They’re a model of what care should be: attuned, human and unyielding in their commitment.” And through her storytelling, Diane ensures their work reaches ears that need to hear it.
Beyond Achievable, Diane’s life has shifted to adaptation and rediscovery. Once a yoga teacher who guided others through poses and breathwork, she now focuses on the mental and emotional aspects of the practice. Chronic pain from cancer treatments has limited her physically, but it’s deepened her understanding of acceptance. “Life is different now. My practice is different. But that’s the thing about yoga and life: it evolves with you.”
Fun isn’t a forgotten concept in Diane’s world, either. She finds joy in jazz performances, the stock market (yes, really), and the art of storytelling. “I’ve always been a bit of a dancer,” she says with a laugh. “But these days, it’s more about the rhythm of life. Listening, adapting, moving when I can and resting when I can’t.”
Her advocacy has also expanded into financial empowerment. “I got into trading during my cancer journey. It was a way to feel in control when everything else felt chaotic,” Diane shares. She’s turned that interest into another means of connection, bridging gaps in financial literacy for others who might feel excluded from that world.
What does Diane Paylor want you to take from her story? That being heard can save your life. That care is not a luxury—it’s a right. That your voice, no matter how faint, matters. And that communities like Achievable Health aren’t just places of healing but engines of change.
“When you’re in the thick of it,” Diane says, “you don’t see the other side. But if you trust the people around you, the process, your own strength—you’ll get there. And maybe, just maybe, you’ll be able to light the way for someone else.”
Diane Paylor’s light is unmistakable. And thanks to her, countless others are finding their own paths forward, one story, one breath, one step at a time.