Doris Amalia Maldonado Méndez
Invisible Medical Complexities
As a 1st Gen Latina born with disabilities, national advocate & speaker, community health worker, corporate and nonprofit leader, educator, Guardian ad Litem, foster & adoptive parent of children with medical complexities, domestic violence & medical malpractice survivor, I’ve served as a Voice for Choice for the marginalized of the marginalized across the lifespan.
Of my many diagnoses and titles, the greatest of all is “Mami.” My children fuel my grit and blessings of motherhood after being told I’d never be a mother! I’ve spent a lifetime in search of belonging. My mother died blaming herself for my disabilities. The alphabet soup of qualifications adorning my father’s proud name have been consequential to a glass menagerie of patronizing check of lists.
As fallen angels, I’ve been forced to climb twice as quickly and twice as hard because of “invisible” diagnoses and “presenting well” glass walls. The Bold Beauty Project has made broken look beautiful and strong look invincible. Like Atlas, I traversed with the universe on my shoulders and this experience made it look like a pair of wings. Lady justice is no longer blind and I’ve been propelled beyond the mire of diagnoses because I am Enough. Between Possibility & Probability, I Am Bold Ability.
