I grew up between two cultures and didn't fit into either. Born in Minnesota, but not quite American enough. Traveling to Brazil to see family, but not quite Brazilian enough.

My family didn't do all the American things like backyard BBQs and football games. And when in Brazil, I didn't have the same background as my extended family.

Left feeling somewhere in the abyss of in-between and with a mom who was bipolar, there was no safe place for me. While Mom and Dad were at odds, I threw myself into my music and spent my time fixing my mom. From providing her hairbrush to self-soothe, to helping my dad avoid controversy—I was alway lost in the shuffle.

What I know now is that kids are important. Today, I dedicate myself to giving kids the space and the voice to be seen and heard. They need support and we benefit from what they have to say.

Giving them a voice is more than challenging, it requires challenging the entirety of the U.S. healthcare system.