My mum passed away just before I turned 2 years old.
I don't have memories of her face. I don't have memories of her voice.
I don't have memories of her holding me or telling me she loved me.
But I have something even more precious: I have the knowledge that she loved me so much,
that in her final moments, she made a decision that changed the course of my entire life.
On her deathbed, my mum made a choice. She named a trusted guardian.
She handed me over to someone she knew would love me, protect me,
and raise me as their own.
That decision saved my life.
Because of her foresight, because of her love, because of her courage
to make that decision—I grew up safe, loved, and protected.
But here's what haunts me: What if she hadn't made that choice?
What if she'd assumed “someone” would figure it out?
What if she'd put it off, thinking she had more time?
What if she'd left it to chance?
I could have ended up anywhere. With anyone.
In a system that didn't know me, didn't love me,
didn't care about my future.
That's why I do what I do.
I help families protect the people they love—the way my mum protected me.
