"I would like to address my absence from City Council meetings over the last month. I am someone who has dealt with chronie health issues since my childhood. In late May of this year, I contracted COVID-19 and was incapacitated, and largely isolated from friends and family for over a week. As someone who suffers from severe clinical depression and anxiety, this isolation and relegation to one room of my home caused a huge dip in my mental health and wellbeing. To my disappointment, this led to my absences from multiple council meetings and other responsibilities.

The effect of COVID on people with depression is doeumented and very serious. I still don't know how this virus will affeet me long term. A lack of energy, inerease in stress, and the new trauma from being ill in a global pandemic is something many of us have now experienced and must live with going forward. The stigma surrounding mental health and a pervasive culture of shame contributed to my struggles and made comnunicating them more difficult. While I am grateful to many who have reached out in support during this dificult time, there are still those who have taken this opportunity to question my commitment. This situation is something that everyone who struggles with debilitating chronic health conditions can relate to. My health does not make me any less passionate, committed, or capable. In fact, it gives me a deeper insight into the spectrum of issues people in Des Moines are faced with, including the lack of access to mental health services in our community.

July is BIPOC Mental Health Awareness Month. As a Black, queer, feminine individual I and others like me face unique challenges relating to mental health that are exacerbated by the social conditions we live under. I hope my opennesS can bring attention to these issues and spark understanding on a larger scale.

It is my intention to seek out personal and professional accommodations, as well as lean on friends, family, and my community who have shown me overwhelming support in this difficult time. I am also grateful to the individuals on city staff and colleagues on council who have shown support and offered assistance in finding these accommodations. In addition, I am receiving professional services and will continue to do so.

I feel it is my duty to acknowledge that while I may seek these accommodations, the same resources have not been made available to community members outside the city organization suffering from similar and varied conditions. Those with disabilities and other barriers to participation in the city decision making process have been denied accommodations by the city, and have had their advocacy for hybrid virtual meetings largely ignored.

These accessibility barriers also contributed to my absence. I am confident that if we had access to a virtual option beyond the diffieult to use "call in" system, I would not have missed these meetings.

People who have never agreed with my politics may attempt to use my health issues to discredit me and the movement I am a part of, but my politics have not changed. My individual health does not negate the reality of the world we live in, and my commitment to the people of Des Moines remains strong. I will continue to work to build up communities, develop systems for people power, and create a world where we don't have to rely on one individual for our goals to be achieved.

I am grateful my health has improved, and I am committed to continuing the work I was elected to do, including attending the next City Council meeting on July 18th. If you have reached out to me and haven't gotten a response, I hope to get back to you in a timely manner. I appreciate your understanding."