Our Story
Ayla Rising was founded by Cheyenne Carrell after experiencing firsthand how difficult it can be to access appropriate medical care, trustworthy education, and meaningful support while living with endometriosis.
Like many people with endometriosis, Cheyenne spent years fighting to be heard within the healthcare system. During that time, her disease continued to progress, eventually spreading into both of her lungs. The information and treatment available to her through her medical team was limited, leaving many of her questions unanswered. Like so many people living with endometriosis, she found that much of what ultimately led her to expert care came through online patient communities and others who had already walked the path before her. To receive specialized care, she ultimately had to move across the country to undergo expert excision surgery.
Through both her own experience and her work as a Somatic Experiencing Practitioner® working primarily with people living with endometriosis and chronic illnesses, she began building a network of knowledgeable healthcare providers, specialists, and trusted resources, first for herself and her clients, and now for the broader endometriosis community.
Over time, she realized that finding informed care often depended on knowing where to look, who to trust, and having support and resources to continue advocating when the healthcare system fails to provide answers.
As her work evolved, she noticed another pattern. Again and again, she saw how years of medical gaslighting, dismissal, and minimization caused people to lose trust in their own bodies. Many began questioning their symptoms, delaying care, or believing they were somehow overreacting despite living with significant illness.
Through both her own experience and her work with clients, she came to recognize that the psychological impact of repeated medical dismissal can leave people feeling disconnected from their own reality and uncertain about whether they deserve care. Rebuilding trust in your body, learning how to advocate, feeling supported and believed, and finding a community of people who understand is as important as finding the right medical treatment.
Ayla Rising was created from that realization.
The name Ayla Rising carries deep personal meaning. Following the loss of a pregnancy that marked the beginning of Cheyenne’s endometriosis journey, the name Ayla became a symbol of hope that through profound loss, something meaningful can grow. Ayla means “ring of light around the moon.” Throughout history, in many cultures, the moon has symbolized the feminine or yin energies associated with the womb. The female body’s cycles of bleeding and ovulation are deeply linked to the moon’s cycles. For people with endometriosis, those cycles often become associated with extreme pain and suffering. For those who are working on regulating their cycle, or those who have undergone a hysterectomy, we hold the hope that the cycles our bodies move through in their connection to the moon can become a pathway back to trust and healing when we are supported well enough.
What began as a personal journey has become a mission to help others find the support, education, and care that Cheyenne spent years searching for herself.
No one should have to spend years fighting to be believed, and no one should have to navigate endometriosis alone.