Every day, I am pushing forward even when it hurts. Even with tears rolling down my eyes, I am still trying to give one percent every day. That may not sound like much to people who have never lived through a stroke, but when your body and mind are carrying that kind of weight, one percent is everything. Survival is not the end of the story. Daily life after a stroke is its own battle.

Too many stroke survivors are expected to be grateful just to be alive and then figure out the rest on our own. People do not always see the pain, the exhaustion, the emotional toll, or how hard basic life can become after a medical crisis. They do not see what it takes to keep showing up when your body is different, your energy is gone, and your tears are part of the process. Chronic illness does not disappear because the emergency is over.

That is why I am calling on health leaders and lawmakers to expand long-term support services for stroke survivors. We need recovery care that does not stop after the first stage. We need affordable rehabilitation, mental health support, pain management, and real help navigating daily life with chronic illness. Survivors should not have to fight alone for the care that lets us live, not just exist.

If you know what it means to keep going one percent at a time, please stand with me. Sign this petition and help demand real long-term support for stroke survivors and people living with chronic illness.