I've always been described as a caring, compassionate, empathetic person, but I feel I am those things even more because of my struggles.

I know what it is like to have to take medicines and supplements and adjust dietary habits in order to function normally. I know what it is like to have doctors not understand your situation. I know what it is like to be rejected and ridiculed by loved ones who just don't get it. I know how lonely it can feel, how easy it is to believe that you're alone and there is no one else in the world who can relate.

And it is because I know what it is like that I want to be a voice for those who feel too much shame to speak up.

I want them to know that just because they're sick, that doesn't mean they're weak. In fact, it is our struggles that make us the strong, brave, resilient warriors that we are. We learn that there is no need to be ashamed of any of our struggles just because there is still a stigma that exists. We realize that not everyone gets it, and that's okay--they don't have to. We find what it really looks like to be a deeply compassionate, caring, loving person. We can see people's true colors, because we can see who is willing to show us that they care about the darkness and messiness and pain and aren't going to leave just because they can't relate.

We become fighters and advocates because we know that we may have health problems, but our health problems don't have us. We turn this ugliness into something that makes us beautiful. We pick up the broken pieces and become a work of art. We understand that recovery is possible for everyone, and want no one to give up because we have so much hope for what they'll blossom into if they recover.

We see that life was never meant to be easy.

We learn that sometimes, even the most sincere prayers for healing are answered with a no; not because we are unloved, but the very opposite, in fact. We are so loved and our Creator's desire is to see us grow and strengthen and live courageous lives. Instead of a dead end, we see so many possibilities, so many opportunities to spread our wings and take off with this new life.

I would never have become this strong or bold or resilient if I were in perfect health. I have been through a lot and still have hard days, but I have seen so much growth and learning in myself; I see where I've been and where I am now and all I can express is gratitude for it all.

We all have things that try and tear us down in life. For some, it's financial problems; for some, it is school or work problems; for some, it's relationship problems. For me and other fighters like me, it's our health. We wake up every day and fight. We may be sick, but we are not weak.

We are strong.

We are brave.

We are full of love.

We are resilient.

We are compassionate.

We are empathetic.

We are advocates.

We are fighters. And we will never give up and never stop fighting because we know others still need to hear our message, our story so they can fight too. We know what it is like to feel alone, so we make sure others don't feel so alone. We know what it is like to be labeled, to be misunderstood, to be rejected, to be abandoned, so we do all we can to ensure others who struggle don't have to go through the same things we did.

We do this every day because it is so incredibly important to us. We do this to end stigma. We do this to raise awareness. We do this because one day, we believe cures will be found. We do this because we are unapologetically and unashamedly fighters.