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There was a moment in Veronica Mireles鈥� life that has stayed with me.

She was 14 years old, walking out of a doctor鈥檚 office after finally receiving treatment for a rare ocular disorder that left her legally blind for much of her childhood. And for the first time ever she saw leaves on a tree.

Mireles grew up without the stability every child deserves. She experienced homelessness. She lived in a vehicle. She was enrolled in more than a dozen elementary schools. The safety nets that should have protected her simply were not there.

Today, she is an attorney, a mother of four and a partner in a regional law firm. She built a life not defined by hardship, but by what she did in response to it. That kind of grit cannot be manufactured. It is earned. And it is exactly the kind of strength we need in the New Mexico Legislature.

I have spent my career as a physician and as a state senator working on issues that affect whether New Mexicans can live with security, dignity and opportunity. I know how urgently our state needs leaders who understand that policy is not abstract. It shows up in the exam room, in the workplace, at the kitchen table and in the lives of children who are waiting for someone to notice they need help.

Mireles understands that because she has lived it.

As a physician, I am especially proud to support her because she understands the healthcare crisis facing New Mexico. Families across our state know how hard it can be to find a doctor, get an appointment, access a specialist or receive care close to home. Too many communities are living with a system stretched beyond its limits.

Mireles has fought for healthcare providers and understands that access to care depends on whether we can recruit and retain the professionals who serve our families. She also understands that healthcare does not exist in a vacuum. Public safety, economic opportunity, strong schools, fair workplaces and access to care are all connected.

As an attorney, Mireles has defended healthcare providers, union members, small businesses and working New Mexicans. She knows how systems work, where they break down and how to stand up for people when the stakes are high.

That is why her campaign has earned support from the Greater sa国际传媒官网网页入口 Medical Association, the sa国际传媒官网网页入口 Police Officers Association, the New Mexico Hispanic Bar Association and multiple labor unions. These endorsements come from people who understand the work, the pressure and the consequences of getting it wrong.

But for me, this endorsement is about more than a great resume. It is about character.

Veronica Mireles knows what it means when systems fail. She knows what it means when a child needs help and help does not come. She knows what it means to fight your way forward, not with privilege or ease, but with discipline, intelligence and determination.

House District 30 deserves a representative with that kind of backbone.

I strongly endorse Veronica Mireles for state representative and urge voters to support her in the June 2 Democratic primary.

Dr. Martin Hickey, D-sa国际传媒官网网页入口, represents District 20 in the New Mexico Senate.