I decided to take action with community organizer Anna Perng to launch a homebound vaccination program across our region. Nearly every night for the last several months after my shift at the health center and on my days off, I visited homebound Pennsylvanians to administer COVID-19 vaccinations. Through this work, I have met hundreds of Pennsylvanians struggling before the pandemic, and now things have gotten even worse.
Through the countless stories of hardship and loss, I hear the same themes over and over again. My patients tell me it feels like our government leaders have forgotten about us. We have been left behind and have to fight for ourselves. They tell me stories of getting passed around from office to office, one leader after another, passing the buck, and explaining why it’s not their job to deal with this specific issue.
I've spent over a decade and a half as a frontline nurse solving problems and advocating for patients and workers. As State Representative, I will fight for a Pennsylvania that works for all of us.
I was born and raised in Philadelphia and am a proud product of our public school system and a graduate of Central High School.
My dad came to Philadelphia from Pakistan to go to college and build a better life. My mom was raised in NW Philly by a single mother, became a nurse and was the first in her family to go to college. My parents taught me the value of education and working hard, and as a Muslim kid, growing up with a Catholic mother in a Jewish neighborhood it was instilled in me at a young age the importance of speaking out for righteousness and truth in the face of injustice.
It’s because of my mom that nearly 2 decades ago I decided to become a nurse.
Working as a nurse for over sixteen years, I know our system is broken because I see it every day working with patients at the health center in my district.
I see children coming in with asthma because they go to toxic schools. I see adults working 2-3 jobs to make ends meet after being in the workforce for decades. And I see patients who have delayed care for months or years because they were worried about going bankrupt or getting deported for seeking care.
The COVID-19 pandemic changed all of us and our society forever. When the pandemic hit home in Pennsylvania, our government leaders failed us and left our most vulnerable communities to fend for themselves. Workers and residents in nursing homes and homebound residents were left without any options for safety and recovery.
As a nurse, I would never tell a patient their needs are not my problem, and as a legislator, I will never tell a constituent their issue is not in my job description.
Nurses, essential workers, frontline workers, we are problem solvers. When things get tough, we roll up our sleeves and work together to find solutions.
I am running for office because after this pandemic and the failure of our government to take care of communities, it is time for new leadership. Nurses, essential workers, frontline workers, it’s our time to lead.
I decided to take action with community organizer Anna Perng to launch a homebound vaccination program across our region. Nearly every night for the last several months after my shift at the health center and on my days off, I visited homebound Pennsylvanians to administer COVID-19 vaccinations. Through this work, I have met hundreds of Pennsylvanians who were struggling before the pandemic, and now things have gotten even worse. Through the countless stories of hardship and loss, I hear the same themes over and over again. My patients tell me it feels like our leaders in government have forgotten about us. We have been left behind and have to fight for ourselves. They tell me stories of getting passed around from office to office, one leader after another, passing the buck, and explaining why it’s not their job to deal with this specific issue.
As a nurse, I would never tell a patient their needs are not my problem, and as a legislator, I will never tell a constituent their issue is not in my job description.
Nurses, essential workers, frontline workers, we are problem solvers. When things get tough, we roll up our sleeves and work together to find solutions.
I am running for office because after this pandemic and the failure of our government to take care of communities, it is time for new leadership. Nurses, essential workers, frontline workers, it’s our time to lead.
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