ROOTED IN LOVE
A Story of Addison’s Disease, Family, and Resilience
ABOUT THE DOCUMENTARY
A year ago, Michelle Joy Kramer walked into Food & Thought to pick up vegetables and ran into Eric Oakes. She mentioned, through tears, that her sister had passed away from Addison’s disease. Eric looked at her and said: “My mother has Addison’s.”
In 15 years as a health coach, Michelle had never met anyone outside her own family with the diagnosis. That moment in the aisle changed everything.
Rooted in Love is a 7-minute documentary short and a tribute to Meredith Kramer, Michelle’s younger sister, who passed away at age 45 from complications related to Addison’s disease. It is an illness that is widely misunderstood and too often misdiagnosed. The documentary weaves together grief, resilience, and the healing power of food through the stories of two families connected by the same rare condition.
FEATURED ON
WHAT IS ADDISON’S DISEASE?
Addison’s disease is a rare, chronic condition affecting the adrenal glands. When the adrenals are compromised, the body cannot produce adequate amounts of cortisol and aldosterone, two hormones essential to daily function. Without proper management, the consequences can be life-threatening.
Only 1 in 100,000 people are diagnosed with Addison’s disease. The majority are women. It is chronically underdiagnosed, and most people have never heard of it.
Meredith Kramer’s story is not uncommon. Families go years searching for answers while symptoms are dismissed or misattributed. This documentary short exists to change that.
Rooted in Love was produced in collaboration with the National Adrenal Diseases Foundation, the leading nonprofit organization dedicated to providing support, education, and advocacy for individuals and families affected by adrenal diseases.
Rooted in Love releases on April 13, 2026, the birthday of Meredith Kramer. It is no coincidence that her birthday falls during Adrenal Disease Awareness Month (AADAM), an annual campaign established by the National Adrenal Diseases Foundation in 2012 to reach patients, caregivers, and clinicians worldwide.
Learn more at the National Adrenal Diseases Foundation
FOOD & THOUGHT CONNECTION
When Wendy Oakes was diagnosed with Addison’s disease, her husband Frank couldn’t find answers anywhere. Doctors were stumped. Information was scarce. So Frank started digging.
He found a book called Sugar Blues, the same book Michelle credits with helping her understand food as medicine. Frank read it, walked into a grocery store, went through every aisle, and came out with five things in the cart. He said: there’s nowhere to go to get the nutritional food we actually need.
That was the beginning of Food & Thought, Naples’ beloved organic market and a cornerstone of the community for decades. Frank Oakes didn’t set out to be in the organic food business. He was trying to save his wife’s life.
“I don’t think my father ever intended to be into the organic food business at all,” says his son Alfie. “I think that God had a plan to take him there.”
Wendy is healthy and doing well. And so is Food & Thought.
FEATURING
Michelle Joy Kramer
Producer & Narrator
Wendy Oakes
Food & Thought
Eric Oakes
Food & Thought
Alfie Oakes
Food & Thought
Kalina Warren
Executive Director NADF
ABOUT MICHELLE JOY KRAMER
Michelle Joy Kramer is a Naples-based private health coach and wellness educator with 15 years of experience helping clients reclaim their health through nutrition, lifestyle, and whole-food living.
She is the oldest of three sisters. Her two younger sisters were identical twins. Both had Addison’s disease. Michelle never developed it, but watching her family navigate a misunderstood, underdiagnosed illness shaped everything about how she approaches health and healing.
Rooted in Love is her first documentary short. She produced it as a tribute to Meredith, as a resource for families living with adrenal disease, and as proof that the most important stories are often the ones closest to home.
Learn more at MichelleJoyKramer.com
Rooted in Love is available for community screenings, on-air features, and media coverage. Michelle is available for on-camera interviews and can provide a private screening link, still images, and a one-page summary upon request. We welcome opportunities to bring this story to audiences who need it most. Reach out directly: michelle@michellejoykramer.com or 239-231-5538
© 2026 Michelle Joy Kramer. Film Credit: Carlos Gonzalez (Just Staring at Ghosts). All Rights Reserved.