Ashley Petersen

When I started my first full time job, I never anticipated what would come next. It started with nearly passing out during a meeting and progressed to over eight years of life altering diagnoses, and eventually permanently disabled. Being so sick caused me to feel like I lost my purpose and the dreams I had for my future. I let it consume me for a long time, and it’s taken a long time to come to a more stable place. People don’t always realize that when you become sick, you often experience grief in some way.

I advocate because my experiences have taught me about how hard it can be to advocate for yourself, and how hard it can be to know what to do and say. I also advocate because some people can’t advocate for themselves and they still deserve good care, help, and respect. I also have the knowledge and experience to find information and to advocate at many levels.