Tamia is a public health student and a caregiver for her mother, who was diagnosed with scleroderma at 32 and ANCA vasculitis at 39. Since 2012, Tamia helped her mother cope with kidney failure, working full time, and being a single mother. Growing up in NYC, Tamia’s mom battled with discrimination from a system that shows people with disabilities no mercy. Tamia’s column sheds light on everyday struggles that caregivers and survivors face daily. It holds a space for no judgment and gives a virtual shoulder to lean on when times feel too tough to face.