I Share Preston Strong on the Miss Mississippi Stage

This is it. The moment every appearance, speech, and Preston Strong event has led to. Tonight, I shared my heart and passion with Mississippi. Tonight, I took the stage, microphone in hand, representing my brother. Representing all AVM warriors and survivors.

What separates the Preston Strong initiative from most is that it's something I live everyday. 2018 changed my life in more ways than one. My perspective and approach to each day. The way I see Preston and myself in a brother and sister that are strangers to me. I see us.

I think part of me will always wander the halls of the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit in Ochsner Medical Center. The girl that wouldn't sleep for fear her brother would get out of his hospital bed in the middle of the night and fall. The girl who became a cheerleader, and broke down behind closed doors. That girl matured overnight and learned what truly matters in life.

So tonight, I put all of that in the 30 seconds I had to share. My passion, my purpose, and the effects my advocacy has produced. So, thank you, Mississippi. Thank you for listening, and thank you for your support this year.

Here’s to AVM warriors across our nation, I stand beside you and will be an enduring advocate. We are #PrestonStrong.