My daughter, Ola. The cancer, and double organ transplant survivor and disability rights advocate.

I remember it like it was yesterday, though it was over two decades ago.

My c-section was scheduled for New Year's Eve. I had a bouncing baby girl that weighed in 8 pounds and 13 ounces. Ola Ojewumi was born a healthy and happy baby. She's brought me so much happiness as a mother. Her father knew she was special and gave her a name in his native tongue of Yoruba, Odunola. Ola for short. In Nigeria, her name means gift from God. My daughter is now all grown up and has lived up to her name.

She's sharing her gifts with the world as a social justice activist and founder of an education nonprofit, Project ASCEND. Her activism is inspired by her own battles as a person living with multiple disabilities. Though she is only 29 years old, she has survived a heart and kidney transplant at age 11. Then, she beat cancer at 25 years old.

Her journey from a healthy baby to a transplant patient started when I noticed my daughter had physical activity intolerance. I thought she couldn't keep up with other kids because she had chronic asthma. In reality, Ola had a rare heart condition that wasn't diagnosed until the 5th grade. As a mother, it broke my heart to see her struggling with her health. No one should have to see their child hospitalized or enduring multiple surgeries. Arguably, the most tragic moment of our family's life was seeing Ola helicopter flown to a local children's hospital intensive care unit (ICU).

That night, we didn't know whether she'd make it or not. When Ola finally came to in the hospital, she was attached to a breathing machine. As I wiped tears from my face, my daughter fought for her life and won. Months later, we received the life-changing call from a children's hospital in Pittsburgh, that they had a donor heart for my daughter. We were flown in a medical Boeing jet from Washington, D.C. to Pennsylvania.

She and I said our goodbyes and exchanged I love yous as she was put under anesthesia and ushered into the operating room. A few hours later, the doctors performed a kidney transplant as well. This was because they concluded that Ola's kidneys were too damaged to sustain lifetime immunosuppressive therapy to maintain her heart transplant.

All parents want what's best for their children.

It doesn't mean you don't sometimes wonder if you made the right decision. When choosing to proceed with a second transplant, I thought to myself, could her fragile adolescent body handle this? This wasn't a low-risk childhood surgery, but two major organ transplants. All less than five hours apart? All I wanted was to give my daughter a chance to live a long, healthy life. Ola pulled through and was released from the hospital in time to celebrate her 12th birthday, which was 3 weeks later.

Before Ola's transplants, I was informed that there was a possibility that she could develop cancer as a result of the immunosuppressive treatment. Though we were forewarned, it was still a shock that Ola was diagnosed with cancer in college at age 19. As her cancer progressed, she went through treatment at age 25 at John's Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center. To date, I am moved by my daughter's strength because she never stopped fighting to stay alive. Now, she uses her second at chance at life to make an impact on society. All of her health problems only pushed her to further excel and to make sure people with disabilities like her are heard and afforded equal rights.

Ola has appeared on MSNBCS's AM Joy, CSPAN, MTV, Democracy Now, and PBS as a political commentator. She is now a part-time wheelchair user who is readily fighting on Capitol Hill beside political powerhouses. She's given speeches alongside politicos Senators Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, Chuck Schumer, Bob Menendez, House Majority Leader Nancy Pelosi, House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer and more.

Also, Ola has testified in Congress before the House Ways and Means Committee in support of affordable prescription drugs. She’s appeared on Democracy Now, and her Save the ACA speech with Senator Cory Booker went viral on NowThisPolitics, garnering 3.7 million views. What most inspires me about my daughter is her willingness to give back to her community and help other people living with disabilities.

Sadly, only 19% of college students have disabilities.

Ola has created the Project ASCEND Scholars Program—a college scholarship program for disabled youth. Ola uses her nonprofit organization to help disabled students fund their education. The overarching goal is to increase the number of disabled students in college and help them graduate. During the first year of the program, these disabled leaders traveled to the (Obama) White House. They met with President Obama's disability advisor to discuss higher education for students with disabilities.

She founded Project ASCEND her college dorm room with a $500 college tuition refund check and a dream. Their mission is to create higher education opportunities for marginalized and disadvantaged young people across the globe. They fund the higher education of low-income and disabled youth through scholarship programs, women's education programs, support for mentorship groups and literacy programs.

Project ASCEND's initiatives have reached hundreds of young people living in Washington, D.C., West Africa and Central America. Project ASCEND has help support families of people and children with rare diseases affected by the COVID-19 crisis through Living in the Light of Rare Disease #IStayHomeForRare campaign. To date, she was honored by the Washington Post for managing a CFC campaign, which raised 0ver $300,000 for charities across the world.

In sum, my daughter inspires many people, but most of all me. This is what makes her a woman who insp