17 Apr Dipanpreet Kaur’s Story from TB survivor to TB advocate
As someone who survived tuberculosis at 4 years old, my experience serves as a testimony to the vital role that action and advocacy play in the fight against this illness. I have personally experienced the days having high fevers and missing school for a couple of months, waiting in long queues at hospitals to have that one big injection and get treated as a little child. It was horrifying. But with God’s grace, I recovered within 6 months. Thus, for me, the transformative impact of grassroots campaigning in bringing about legislative changes and obtaining funding for tuberculosis prevention, treatment, and research thanks to groups like Results Canada.
In order to ensure that our stories educate and motivate real action, advocating with Results Canada has been crucial in elevating the narratives of TB survivors like me. Results enables people to become change agents in the battle against tuberculosis by involving policymakers, organizing communities, and increasing public awareness.
Sharing my experience with politicians was one of the most influential events of my advocacy journey with Results. I have personally seen the power of storytelling in influencing governmental choices and achieving positive results by humanizing the TB issue and emphasizing the urgent need for additional funding and assistance.
Being a survivor of TB, I knew how important it is to address this issue to make every other survivor comfortable with sharing their stories to make a huge impact in others’ lives. Today, I am a young poet and author of two solo poetry books, with only one motto in my head, that my words might make at least a percent of positive impact in the lives of other TB survivors. Therefore, as a co-leader at Results Canada and one of the executive members at Social Work Student Association (a York University club), I also took initiative to make these organizations collaborate with each other and conduct an Educational Webinar on Tuberculosis, so that we can spread the message #YesWeCanEndTB to the larger audience.
Through Results’ advocacy, we’ve seen global progress in TB response, with improved medication access and increased research funding. With each voice, story, and action, we’re closer to ending this pandemic. I’m honored to join Results and fellow activists during National Volunteer Week in the fight against TB. Together, we can create a world free from the suffering I endured and eliminate TB’s threat to public health.
Original Source : https://resultscanada.ca/national-volunteer-week-2024/
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