First Publication

I Did It for My Mom is Johileny Meran’s personal story of growing up with cerebral palsy, immigrating from the Dominican Republic to New York, and becoming her mother’s interpreter and caregiver after her mother was diagnosed with a brain tumor. After losing her mother and experiencing homelessness, Johileny drew strength from her mother’s belief in her, overcame academic and personal challenges, became valedictorian, and pursued higher education at NYU. The story highlights resilience, disability, family, education, loss, and turning adversity into purpose.