Thread by @KeiMD

This is going to be a thread about #poverty #upwardmobility #authenticity and #childhomelessness.

But first I have to get out of bed and find a coffee shop 😊😂

update: I won't make it to a coffee shop because the car I was given 8m ago has given up the ghost and won't start.

So, coming at you live from my living room where there's no sweet coffee aroma. lol.

I grew up #poor. Missing meals, NIPSCO voicemails and notices, "eating sleep for dinner" #poor. The city I grew up in was known, during my childhood, as "the murder capital of the United States". My mother was a single parent without a college education with two girls, I was 1/

and still am multiple handfuls without a desire to mince words or keep my feelings or thoughts to myself.

I remember leaving the oven open for heat, I remember being sent away to stay with my grandparents, I remember butter sandwiches and sardines for dinner #poor.

Early 2/

adolescence was *slightly* better. We would have good runs, when I would be sharing the smaller room of the apartment/townhome with my two sisters, but according to federal law, I was often #homeless. Not sleeping in the car or on the street #homeless, but "we're moving out 3/

to go and stay with family" #homeless because "we can't afford to live here anymore."

One of the times I broke my mother's heart was when we'd moved, again, and she asked me what was wrong. I told her I was upset about moving again. I don't remember what she said to me, but 4/

I was going on and on and said, "...and you can't even provide us with a stable home!" Her face broke, her spirit broke, I was broken. It was a terrible time and to this day I carry pain for saying that to her, because I know she was trying her best.

Growing up we had to 5/

travel SO FAR to get to a grocery store, or the doctor's office. The school systems were poor quality and so underfunded, my mom enrolled me in a slight higher standard, subpar school. I was not challenged there, I was always done first with my work with the highest grades. 6/

There was even one time the teacher tried to get me to help teach and my mother lost it. She told her to give me work from the next grade because it's not my job to help teach. I love her for advocating for me.

I was an angry teen. I was trying to figure out why my father 7/

wasn't around, why we had to move every couple years and why I was being treated differently.

There was an instance where one of my white female classmates made a "joke" saying she thought slavery was good and we should still have slaves now. I was fuming. I told her 8/

that I wanted to see her after class, in a majority white school. I was scolded, but she was not. I still carry that with me.

I didn't know how to process my feelings. My mother put me in anger management. Honestly, I still use those tools today and tell myself that I'm 9/

getting my mother's money's worth. Lol.

I was recently nominated for the #GoldHumanismSociety. A medical society filled with peer nominated Student Drs. and Drs. who recognize the humanity in patients and not just their disease.

I called to share the good news with my 10/

aunt, a school psychologist. She was evaluating a student who has many of the character traits I had as a kid.

She asked me very clear, very pointed, intentional questions about the hardships I faced as a child. I shared them with a sixth grade boy who I have never 11/

met. I shared my soul with that boy, not knowing what it would mean to him. *My eyes are starting to sweat guys.* After I answered the last question, he thanked me.

I went to the OR to learn in a case.

I came out to several voice notes from my aunt thanking me for 12/

allowing her to ask me those very personal questions. They were going to end their session because my aunt wasn't able to make any progress on the underlying troubles of that young man, but in a 10m conversation my sharing prompted him to share.

#Childhomelessness 13/

is a disease in this country that can rob children of their wonder, happiness, joy, passion and more.

I am a professional student and the #upwardmobility that I've experienced even at this phase of my life is UNREMARKABLE. I have FOUR grocery stores <1mi 14/

from my house, I don't have to move unless that is what I want and though I still have feelings from my past I have not completely resolved, the fullness that I feel from my education and being able to help people with their illnesses is a good enough band-aid.

My aunt said 15/

that he wants to talk to me on a semi-regular basis, but she said to him, "Oh, I don't know about that." He pleaded with her to ask me. I told her that I would be MORE than happy to be that little guy's pen pal. We are going to ask his mother's permission.

Becoming *just* a 16/

medical student is #upwardmobility on its own. People believe Drs. are prestigious and superhuman, so it's only right a medical student is as well, right? I couldn't have dreamed my life be this sweet and I be able to impact a child like this.

#ThisIsAGodDream 17/17