The Person I Was, The Person I Am
I’ve been many versions of myself long before ALS ever entered my life. I grew up in a complicated home in complete poverty. My childhood taught me early what it meant to survive. So when people ask me who I was before ALS, there isn’t a simple answer. I was different things to different people. A kid trying to make sense of the world. A sibling who understood what it meant to go without. A young adult determined to get out of that cycle. I moved away from home with no clear plan beyond “I’ll figure it out.” And I did. I built a life, became a nurse, and supported my family back home not because I had to, but because I knew what it felt like to struggle. I was proud of that version of me. I was independent and capable. I worked hard, laughed easily, spent time with friends, went hiking. I had a life that felt full and earned. And then, slowly, that version of me began to change. There was no single moment where everything shifted. It was gradual, almost quiet. At first, I told mys...
