I was born the only girl, just 8 minutes after my twin brother, cherished as the “princess” of the family. Though I loved the attention, I felt my twin’s quiet pain as the third boy, never quite in the spotlight.
At 7, my world changed. My dad had a severe heart attack, marking the start of a long battle with heart disease. Then, when I was 26, my oldest brother died by suicide. It was the final blow to my dad’s fragile heart.
He passed away at 57, leaving my mom and me shattered. I was 27, with three little girls under six. My plans, built around his love and approval, were instantly gone.
At 37, I was told I had chronic Hepatitis C and only ten years to live. There was no treatment—until I qualified for an experimental program. Six months of Interferon alpha-2 saved my life. That treatment became the first FDA-approved cure for Hepatitis C. You’re welcome.
At 47, I survived a heart attack and realized I’d inherited my dad’s heart issues. I became a speaker for the American Heart Association, helping women fight heart disease.
In 2013, I stepped in to care for my mom and stepfather during his second battle with cancer. He passed in 2017. That same year, my twin brother died suddenly from a stroke. My mom, devastated and suicidal, moved in with me. For the next five years, I cared for her as dementia and frequent falls took their toll. My mom passed away on November 5th, 2022. She was 94 years old.
This art piece is called Mother’s Day. My twin and I were born on Mother’s Day.
© 2024 Designed by De’Logo Studio
