As a young child, I started ballet lessons. I was always dancing around. I loved to move, be creative and express myself. Dance was a very happy place for me. I had a short ballet career and transitioned into becoming a make up artist. A few years later, I became a mother and decided to stay at home with my children for 14 years.

Dance was always there for me and I was always dancing around the kitchen, cooking and cleaning. After returning to the workforce, I also returned to dance, but in different forms. I began flamenco, salsa, and Bachata lessons. On the weekend, I was hiking and paddle boarding. I was very, very active.

In August of 2022, my world began to shift in ways that I could never have imagined. On a big hike my movements became slower, as if the very air I walked through was thickening. The feeling was like walking through mud. At first, it seemed like something temporary, perhaps fatigue or a minor injury, but it soon became clear that something much more serious was happening.

I began experiencing "foot drop," a condition that stole my ability to lift and flex my left foot. I I found myself stumbling, struggling to maintain balance. As someone who had been so active and independent, this was an unbearable shift—a harsh new reality. 

Then came October 3, 2023—the day my life would forever change. After months of doctor visits, tests, and mounting anxiety, I went to the University of Washington Medical Center. The diagnosis: ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis), also known as Lou Gehrig's disease. The words felt surreal, almost impossible to process. ALS is a rare and devastating neurodegenerative disease that affects the motor neurons, leading to progressive muscle weakness and atrophy. It is terminal, and the prognosis for most patients is between three to five years.

ALS was already taking its toll on my body, and my functionality had already begun to plummet in just the month since my diagnosis. I can no longer walk, drive or prepare food for myself. Simple, everyday tasks have become monumental challenges. 

The hardest part of all has been the impact on my role as a mother. As a single mother of three children, I now face the unimaginable challenge of raising my children while grappling with a disease that is slowly stealing my independence. ALS does not just affect the person diagnosed; it ripples out, affecting the entire family.  

The path ahead is unknown, but one thing is certain: the love and support of family and friends carry me through. Every day, as my body changes, I try to cherishing each moment and finding beauty in the world and the smallest acts of kindness and love.