Why Advocacy Matters to MeAdvocacy 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 helping others use their voice. After my stroke, I could no longer return to those environments, but my desire to serve never disappeared—it simply paused until it found new paths.
One of those paths led me to the LoveYourBrain Foundation, where I first rediscovered a sense of community. Nine months after completing one of their six-week online Mindset programs, I trained as 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, advocacy, and community engagement.
This work has helped me reclaim something I lost after my stroke: a sense of solid footing. It has given me a way to use my voice to connect with others, contribute to important conversations, and help shape the future of care.
One of those paths led me to the LoveYourBrain Foundation, where I first rediscovered a sense of community. Nine months after completing one of their six-week online Mindset programs, I trained as 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, advocacy, and community engagement.
This work has helped me reclaim something I lost after my stroke: a sense of solid footing. It has given me a way to use my voice to connect with others, contribute to important conversations, and help shape the future of care.
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American Heart Association: Storytelling & Leadership
I am a proud member of the 2025 American Heart Association 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, contributing lived experience to scientific guideline development and grant review to help inform research priorities and standards of care.
I am also an active volunteer with CycleNation, supporting brain health awareness, fundraising, and community engagement while embracing movement and connection as powerful tools for healing and prevention.
I am a proud member of the 2025 American Heart Association 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, contributing lived experience to scientific guideline development and grant review to help inform research priorities and standards of care.
I am also an active volunteer with CycleNation, supporting brain health awareness, fundraising, and community engagement while embracing movement and connection as powerful tools for healing and prevention.
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LoveYourBrain: Community & Healing
Serving as a LoveYourBrain Mindset Facilitator has been one of the most meaningful parts of my journey. It’s a role that allows me to support others with compassion, presence, and understanding while modeling resilience in real time.
A major turning point came when I attended my first community retreat, where I was encouraged to become more comfortable with discomfort. There was something quietly transformative about that experience, and I knew I wanted to return. Volunteering gave me the opportunity to fully lean in—to listen, connect, and be changed by the shared vulnerability in the room.
Those connections grew so deeply that I was later invited to become a Retreat Ambassador, helping foster belonging through shared experience, curiosity, and community. Being part of the LoveYourBrain community has been central to my healing, grounding me in purpose, presence, and a renewed sense of connection.
Serving as a LoveYourBrain Mindset Facilitator has been one of the most meaningful parts of my journey. It’s a role that allows me to support others with compassion, presence, and understanding while modeling resilience in real time.
A major turning point came when I attended my first community retreat, where I was encouraged to become more comfortable with discomfort. There was something quietly transformative about that experience, and I knew I wanted to return. Volunteering gave me the opportunity to fully lean in—to listen, connect, and be changed by the shared vulnerability in the room.
Those connections grew so deeply that I was later invited to become a Retreat Ambassador, helping foster belonging through shared experience, curiosity, and community. Being part of the LoveYourBrain community has been central to my healing, grounding me in purpose, presence, and a renewed sense of connection.
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.