Your Voice Matters
Purpose
&
Adovcacy
🎗️🧡
Purpose & Adovcacy 🎗️🧡
April 14th Issue
Dear Whitney,…
Dear Younger Me,
I see you. I see the girl who hesitated before raising her hand, who second-guessed whether her pain, her struggles, her experiences were valid enough to be heard. I remember the quiet moments when you swallowed your words, afraid that they would be dismissed, afraid that you were too much or not enough. You carried a burden that felt too heavy for your young shoulders—the weight of sickle cell disease, the exhaustion of explaining yourself over and over, the silent battles no one else could see.
But let me tell you something: Your voice is powerful. It always has been.
High School Whitney (top: yr. 1999) /NOW Whitney, wife, mother, advocate (bottom: yr. 2025)
The world may have made you feel small, but you were never insignificant. Your pain was real, your experiences were valid, and your perspective was needed. The times you spoke up—even when your voice trembled—mattered more than you ever realized. You weren’t just speaking for yourself. You were speaking for the warriors who came before you and those who would come after.
Strength isn’t about silence. It’s about standing in your truth, even when it’s uncomfortable. It’s about asking for help when you need it, about advocating for better care, about making sure no one else feels as alone as you once did. You didn’t know it then, but every time you used your voice—whether in a doctor’s office, in a classroom, or on a stage—you were shaping the future. The seeds you planted have grown into something bigger than you imagined.
Now, look at where we are. Look at the conversations we’ve started. The policies we’ve influenced. The communities we’ve built. The warriors who no longer feel alone because of the stories we’ve shared. If I could tell you one thing, it would be this: Keep going. Keep speaking. Keep fighting. Your voice is a force for change.
And to anyone reading this, I ask you: If you could talk to your younger self, what would you say? Would you tell them to be louder? Braver? Would you remind them that their voice matters?
Drop a comment, share your story, and let’s remind every warrior that we are heard, we are seen, and we are powerful.
“Your voice is not just an echo in the dark—it is a light that sparks change. Speak up, stand tall, and know that your story matters.”
With love and strength,
Whitney Lyn
