My Why ❤️

For a long time, I didn’t realize how much power there could be in simply hearing someone say, “I’ve been there too.”

I grew up with juvenile dermatomyositis. Hospitals, medications, wheelchairs, procedures, school accommodations, people staring, people asking questions, and learning how to advocate for myself were all parts of growing up for me.

But when I was a kid, I didn’t have books filled with characters whose lives looked like mine.

I didn’t have another kid on the page saying, I know this is hard. I know you’re scared. I know you’re tired. And I know what it feels like when everyone else seems to be doing things you wish you could do.

Years later, that became a big part of why I started writing.

My first book allowed me to tell my own story. But somewhere along the way, writing became about more than telling people what happened to me.

It became about creating some of the things I wish had existed when I was younger.

A book for the child who is newly diagnosed.

Something for the teenager who is tired of explaining.

Resources for the family trying to understand a life they never expected to be navigating.

Stories that help classmates understand that inclusion sometimes looks as simple as changing the game so everyone can play.

And words for adults who may have spent years feeling like nobody quite understood.

I also want people to see that a diagnosis can be part of someone’s story without being the whole story.

There has been illness in my life, but there has also been faith, friendship, horses, photography, advocacy, laughter, heartbreak, rebuilding, independence, books I never imagined I’d write, and one very opinionated service dog who has managed to work his way into nearly everything. 😂

That’s why I keep telling these stories.

Because somewhere, someone may recognize a piece of themselves in one.

And because it took me a long time to truly understand something I now hope other people learn much sooner:

My voice is worth hearing.

And so is yours. ❤️