Layla’s Story of Identity, Compassion, and Holding Onto Who You Are

Layla’s story is one many people quietly carry but rarely put into words. Navigating life while learning to receive care has reshaped how she sees herself, her relationships, and what it truly means to be supported. Her experience is not just about illness, but about identity, resilience, and redefining independence.

Continue reading to learn how Layla is learning to hold onto who she is while embracing what she needs now.

How Living With Care Has Changed the Way I See Myself

It’s hard to see myself as someone who needs help. That’s not how I imagined myself at this age. I always pictured being more independent and pursuing my dreams. Accepting this has been confronting, and I’m still figuring out how to hold onto who I thought I’d become while also being honest about what I need now.

Some days I feel like I’m meeting a version of myself I don’t fully recognize yet. Other days, I realize that needing care doesn’t erase the ambition or strength that’s always been part of me.

What Care Has Taught Me About What I Need

I think I’ve learned that it’s a lot more simple than it’s made out to be. All I really need is compassion and understanding. Isn’t that all any human ever needs and wants? To me, anything beyond that feels like a bonus. I don’t need people to fix it. I just need them to get that this is real and it’s hard and it’s nothing I chose or did wrong.

When someone listens without trying to solve everything, it feels like a weight lifts off my shoulders. Being believed and seen often matters more than any practical solution someone could offer.

What I Wish People Understood Beyond My Care Needs

I wish people understood how hard it is to find the balance between staying true to my personality versus letting illness take over everything. I’m still a full person and I still have dreams. I’m just in a situation I never could have seen coming that happens to affect every single part of my life.

There’s a quiet effort behind every moment where I show up as myself despite the challenges. I want people to see the parts of me that are still curious, hopeful, and deeply human, not just the circumstances I’m navigating.

What “Care Is Love” Means to Me in Practice

To me, “care is love” means acknowledgment and understanding. Knowing I didn’t choose this, and I’m not weak or lazy or unwilling. Sitting with me instead of trying to solve, question, or doubt me.

Love shows up in the small moments: when someone stays present even when things are uncomfortable or uncertain. Sometimes the most powerful form of care is simply being there without judgment.

The Parts of My Identity That Matter Most

This is tough because I struggle with what my identity even is. I went from pretty much totally healthy and functioning, ambitious, and hopeful, to sick and unable to do the most basic tasks. It’s important for me to honour that these two identities can exist at the same time and one doesn’t need to completely cancel the other, even if it kind of feels like it puts my life on hold.

I’m learning that identity isn’t fixed; it shifts and grows with experience. Holding space for both who I was and who I am now helps me feel more whole, even on the hardest days.