Daughter, sister, friend, wife, Mumma, nurse, advocate & nonprofit co-founder. I was raised by my beautiful, selfless, mother. She showed me what love is & pushed me to be my best. My father is a great person who's had a lot of struggles over the years. My parents may not have been "in love" every day of my life but I knew every day of my life that they both loved me. I was taught what I needed to be able to love & in return be loved. My grandparents, aunts & uncles played a big role - it takes a village. My kids give me purpose. My daughter has a rare genetic disorder so I fear bullying. I fear "special needs mom" burn out, losing myself & the fun loving relationship my husband & I have because life is pulling us every which way. I fear what will happen when I'm gone. I have "normal" mom worries too. Like sickness, hurt & them becoming decent people. I worry about my daughter & her future. I feel judged at times & feel guilty that there is always something more I could be doing to increase her potential. I remind myself I can only do my best. As much as I love being a mom & wife I'm focusing on balancing my responsibilities so I can grow in my career & achieve my own goals. I want my kids to feel like I contribute to our family. I want to be an example of hard work, determination & dreaming. I'd tell a 12 year old me to stop trying to please people - that you'll end up disappointing yourself. Success is keeping my family and myself happy & healthy, rolling with whatever comes & making it work for us. In 10 years I should be an NP settled in a career path I love. I hope to be balanced happy & spending time doing things I love with people I love. I wish more people understood our family dynamic & the challenges we face with Mallory's diagnosis. I don't see her Syndrome as a weakness or a curse. She is perfect, she is happy & she is my baby. It is hard, though. It’s hard to watch other families do things that might never work for us. I don’t want pity or sympathy just respect for what we deal with. I am proud of my ability to advocate for others. I’m effective, assertive & I get things done. Im Micayla. I live by respect, honesty & compassion. I am grateful.