I am joining the Disability March as the entirety of my young adult life thus far I have spent the majority of my days seeing doctors in a desperate attempt to fight for both my physical and mental health. Throughout my journey, I have been forced to recognize sooner than many people my age, the financial stressors, obstacles, and burdens that accompany a single procedure, blood test, or doctor’s visit. I have found myself dealing with my insurance company regarding unnecessary bills and medication refills among much else, but have also been incredibly thankful for Obamacare/The Affordable Care Act as without it, I probably wouldn’t be alive and breathing today. As an American with chronic illness who is also both a woman and a member of the LGBTQ community, it is of utmost importance to me that no person is stripped of their right to affordable healthcare or merely their fundamental right to exist in solidarity as an equal, free from any form of discrimination.

4. I am a 24 year old woman living in the Northern Virginia area. I have a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Virginia Commonwealth University and hope to one day be physically strong enough to utilize my credentials in a role where I am actively helping others giving back to my community. My hobbies include various artistic mediums and essentially any avenue through which I am able to effectively express myself. I spend a good amount of time nowadays advocating for chronic illness online via writing through contributing to websites such as “The Mighty” and my own personal blog, “Confessions of a Professional Patient”.