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"Consider the positive influence you aspire to have as someone living with cystic fibrosis. How do you hope to inspire and empower future generations of young adults with chronic illnesses?"

Throughout my life, I have been able to overcome every obstacle that comes my way. I plan to inspire and empower future generations with chronic illnesses by spreading the word about family support, staying positive, and by telling my story. I was born on January 28, 2005, in the beautiful city of Chicago. The American Dream of my parents was just starting, we were financially stable and even a new home to grow together as a family. Until one afternoon, that my mother was deported from the United States and punished for eleven years without being able to enter the country. Very shocking news for the whole family. My father decided to stay in the United States to be able to support the family financially. While I was only three months old, my two-year-old sister, and mom moved to a small adobe house, in Michoacán, Mexico. Where the unconditional love of a grandmother was given to us by the absence of a father/husband. For eleven years my family lived apart, but I managed to overcome the obstacle of distance. I learned to love a person without him being close to me. During my childhood, many obstacles arose. Both health-wise and financially. I remember that I spent most of my childhood sick. I always had a cough, flu, or stomachache. I was always visiting doctors, and with the help of medicine I got better; but always relapsed. My family at that time was not financially stable. I remember that the money my father sent from the United States was not enough, and so my mother started selling popsicles on the street in order to have a little extra income. Many times, my grandmother, who was dedicated to agriculture, would sell her crops to be able to pay for some medicine. Each time I had a relapse; I always found a way out. Either with the motivation of my relatives, or perhaps because of my enormous positivity in life. I have always been a person of strong character, with an enormous positivity that has known how to get ahead despite the problems. Maybe God, or my guardian angel (as my grandmother says) was the one who kept me alive. Years passed, and in 2016 my family was able to be reunited again. The American Dream resumed. However, by 2019, our lives, especially mine, would take a very unexpected turn. I became seriously ill; I was 60 pounds at the age of 14. The bullying at school began, new obstacles emerged. But the love of friends and family kept me safe. It was there, on March 16, 2019, where my Cystic Fibrosis was discovered and new medicines, treatments, countless doctors were welcome to my life. I was about to die! 14 years without proper treatment for CF! Honestly, I hope that my story will inspire many to never give up; positivity is the key. To all remember that our loved ones will be there, like a ray of sunshine on our cloudy day.