As a teenager, I was placed on a medical path that permanently altered my body.
Those decisions were made during a period of deep distress, confusion, and vulnerability, and I believe the adults and institutions around me failed to slow down, ask harder questions, or offer real alternatives. What I was told would bring relief instead left lasting physical and emotional consequences.
I speak today because I don't want other young people or families to walk the same path without honest information, real care, and the time they deserve.
Children are not abstractions. They are people whose lives are shaped by the decisions adults make on their behalf.
My work focuses on telling the truth about what happens when ideology replaces reality, and when caution is dismissed as harm. I challenge powerful narratives not out of anger, but out of responsibility.
Through public speaking, media, and legislative testimony, I share my story to advocate for accountability, informed consent, and a higher standard of care for vulnerable youth. I believe compassion and truth are not opposites, and that real care requires honesty, restraint, and courage.
