I want every caregiver laboring in love to know I see you, I hear you, and I'm fighting for you.

I had the honor and the heartbreak of being my mother’s caregiver during her battle with leukemia. Her name was Sandy Pressley — may she rest in power.

As her only child and medical proxy, I had a front row seat as her body slowly shut down, and it broke my heart to witness what she went through.

And it also required sacrifice: When my mother was sick, I was a member of the Boston City Council and had to miss important votes in order to ensure she was receiving the treatment she needed.

This is the story of the more than 48 million caregivers in the United States right now, who are often forced to choose between going to work or caring for a loved one. And this month, we recognize their struggles and lift up their stories.

November is National Family Caregivers Month. A time to honor all those who make the sacrifice to provide around-the-clock care to family members: from young children with disabilities to aging parents and injured spouses. It’s a time to renew our acknowledgment of the many challenges caregivers face — emotional, physical, financial, mental — often with little support.

I want every caregiver laboring in love to know I see you, I hear you, and I'm fighting for you — working to pass policies like paid leave, child care, and home and community based services (HCBS) in Congress. I’m committed to collective care, dignified wages, and an equitable economy to ensure caregivers have the resources they need and that we restore dignity to care work.

My experience as my mother’s caregiver crystalized and cemented my desire to advocate for those that are ignored, left out, and left behind. Caregiving is not a season of life — it’s a part of the human experience. At some point, we will all be caregivers or need to be taken care of, and paid leave, child care, and HCBS are not nice-to-haves — they are must-haves. They are a matter of health and economic justice.

I’ll keep advocating for meaningful policies that make a difference in the lives of families and ensure caregivers have the support they need. But this is only possible with support from people like you. If you’re able, make a donation today to power our fight for stronger care policies in Congress to ensure caregivers can keep caring for their loved ones at home.

DONATE

Yours in service,

Ayanna