Why Advocacy Matters to Me
Advocacy and volunteerism have always been central to who I am. Long before my stroke, I was deeply involved in civic engagement, registering voters at concerts and music festivals through HeadCount and finding purpose in helping others use their voice. After my stroke, I could no longer return to those environments, but my desire to serve did not disappear—it just took a break until it found new paths.
One of those paths led me to the LoveYourBrain Foundation, where I first felt a sense of community. Nine months after attending one of their 6-have week online Mindset programs I trained to become a Mindset Facilitator and later stepped into the role of Retreat Ambassador.
More recently, my advocacy has expanded through my work with the American Heart Association—first as a Patient Engagement in Science and Research volunteer, and now as a member of the Go Red for Women Class of Survivors, where I contribute through storytelling and community engagement.
This work has helped me reclaim something I lost after my stroke—a sense of solid footing—by allowing me to use my voice to both connect with others and help shape the future of care.
Advocacy and volunteerism have always been central to who I am. Long before my stroke, I was deeply involved in civic engagement, registering voters at concerts and music festivals through HeadCount and finding purpose in helping others use their voice. After my stroke, I could no longer return to those environments, but my desire to serve did not disappear—it just took a break until it found new paths.
One of those paths led me to the LoveYourBrain Foundation, where I first felt a sense of community. Nine months after attending one of their 6-have week online Mindset programs I trained to become a Mindset Facilitator and later stepped into the role of Retreat Ambassador.
More recently, my advocacy has expanded through my work with the American Heart Association—first as a Patient Engagement in Science and Research volunteer, and now as a member of the Go Red for Women Class of Survivors, where I contribute through storytelling and community engagement.
This work has helped me reclaim something I lost after my stroke—a sense of solid footing—by allowing me to use my voice to both connect with others and help shape the future of care.
LoveYourBrain: Community & Healing
Being a LoveYourBrain Mindset Facilitator has been one of the most meaningful parts of my recovery. It’s a role that allows me to hold space for others with compassion, presence, and understanding—offering support while modeling resilience in real time.
The true turning point came when I attended my first community retreat, where I was invited to become comfortable with the uncomfortable. There was something quietly transformative in that experience, and I knew I wanted to return. Volunteering opened the door to fully lean in—to listen, to connect, and to be changed by the shared vulnerability in the room.
Those connections grew so deeply that I was invited to become a Retreat Ambassador, an opportunity to help foster belonging through shared experience and curiosity. Being part of the LoveYourBrain community has been central to my healing, grounding me in purpose, presence, and a renewed sense of connection.
Being a LoveYourBrain Mindset Facilitator has been one of the most meaningful parts of my recovery. It’s a role that allows me to hold space for others with compassion, presence, and understanding—offering support while modeling resilience in real time.
The true turning point came when I attended my first community retreat, where I was invited to become comfortable with the uncomfortable. There was something quietly transformative in that experience, and I knew I wanted to return. Volunteering opened the door to fully lean in—to listen, to connect, and to be changed by the shared vulnerability in the room.
Those connections grew so deeply that I was invited to become a Retreat Ambassador, an opportunity to help foster belonging through shared experience and curiosity. Being part of the LoveYourBrain community has been central to my healing, grounding me in purpose, presence, and a renewed sense of connection.
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American Heart Association: Storytelling & Leadership
I am a proud member of the 2025 American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women Class of Survivors and will join the New York City Class of Survivors in 2026. Through this platform, I share my story to raise awareness about stroke in women, the importance of early recognition, and the power of self-advocacy.
Beyond storytelling, I serve on the American Heart Association’s Patient Engagement in Science and Research Subcommittee, where I contribute as a patient representative to scientific guideline development and grant review—helping ensure that lived experience informs research priorities and standards of care. I am also an active volunteer with CycleNation, supporting brain health awareness, fundraising, and community engagement, and using movement and connection as powerful tools for healing and prevention.
I am a proud member of the 2025 American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women Class of Survivors and will join the New York City Class of Survivors in 2026. Through this platform, I share my story to raise awareness about stroke in women, the importance of early recognition, and the power of self-advocacy.
Beyond storytelling, I serve on the American Heart Association’s Patient Engagement in Science and Research Subcommittee, where I contribute as a patient representative to scientific guideline development and grant review—helping ensure that lived experience informs research priorities and standards of care. I am also an active volunteer with CycleNation, supporting brain health awareness, fundraising, and community engagement, and using movement and connection as powerful tools for healing and prevention.
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What This Means to Me
At the heart of all of this is a commitment to turning lived experience into connection, awareness, and meaningful change for others navigating life after stroke. What began as my own path of healing has slowly revealed a deeper sense of purpose: using what I’ve learned, felt, and lived to help light the way for someone else.
For me, finding purpose after stroke hasn’t been about returning to who I was, but about becoming who I am now—doing the work that matters, creating spaces for honesty and understanding, and discovering how community, storytelling, and shared experience can be powerful sources of healing.
At the heart of all of this is a commitment to turning lived experience into connection, awareness, and meaningful change for others navigating life after stroke. What began as my own path of healing has slowly revealed a deeper sense of purpose: using what I’ve learned, felt, and lived to help light the way for someone else.
For me, finding purpose after stroke hasn’t been about returning to who I was, but about becoming who I am now—doing the work that matters, creating spaces for honesty and understanding, and discovering how community, storytelling, and shared experience can be powerful sources of healing.