Our Story

Behind the Name:

"They said they won't cover it anymore. They think you're healthy enough now." I sat on the bench behind the recovery center, thinking about my insurance company. What? Had they even met me before? I guess the doctors that disagreed with them weren't important.  I watched the river that lay before me in front of the bench. Large, unending, and flowing with the wind. It's flow stopped for no one, not the little shiny fish that swam against it, not the occasional dandelion that disrupted the surface. And right then I decided I wouldn’t stop for anyone either. No body-shamer, no fad diet, and most definitely no insurance company would stop me. Just like the river's flow stopped for no one, I wouldn’t stop from getting what I deserved: recovery. After I finished my fight, I decided that no one else should have to stop either. And that’s where the Lone Bench Initiative began. 

-Maryam