My journey as a patient advocate began long before my diagnosis. For the past 26 years, I’ve advocated for my son, who was born with Spina Bifida. Doctors once told me he wouldn’t live past 20, but I refused to accept that. I asked hard questions, pushed for second opinions, and never gave up. One doctor even hugged me and said, “If it weren’t for you fighting for him, we would have never discovered what was happening.”

Today, my son is thriving—living independently, working at a restaurant, and serving as an advocate with Special Olympics Franklin County.

I’ve also walked beside my parents through life-threatening illnesses. My father, after visiting the ER for chest pain in 2007, passed away due to a lack of coordinated care among his providers. I’ll never forget his final words to me: “Take care of your mom.” And I have.

My mother has diabetes and heart disease—and for years, she was in the ER nearly every month. Once I began advocating for her, everything changed.

My husband’s journey is another example of why advocacy matters. He battled diabetic foot ulcers for five years. Doctors kept removing parts of his foot until they told us amputation was likely. I pushed for a second opinion. That doctor discovered the real issue was his foot’s bone structure—not just the diabetes. As a result, his foot—and his leg—were saved.