When Annzie was six, what started as a routine well visit turned our world upside down. She had always been small for her age, but that visit revealed more: recurring infections and low platelet counts that led to urgent bloodwork. We were referred to hematology, and that began our FA journey.

I am a poet, a writer, and a storyteller. I’m also a student, and an older brother to a young man with FA and special needs. I’m a DACA recipient. I’m here. I’m present. I am more than my current mental state, and more than this diagnosis.