The Hesitation
Every time someone speaks, they risk being misunderstood. But silence has its own cost.
What makes someone speak when silence feels safer?
Is it certainty of impact—or conviction despite the unknown?
Would you speak, knowing the outcome might never be clear?
Many of us like to believe we’d act if we knew it would help someone. But what if the outcome wasn’t guaranteed? What if speaking up came with personal cost—strained relationships, lost opportunities, or the risk of being misunderstood?
Would you rather risk the greater good—or risk your own reputation?
These are questions that surface often in advocacy.
Especially when the harm is systemic, and the solutions are anything but swift.
It’s not uncommon to hesitate.
To wonder whether sharing a story or posting a resource will land as intended, make a difference, or simply echo into silence. And yet, time and again, people choose to speak. Not because they’re sure of the result, but because the alternative—doing nothing—is harder to live with.
The Risk
There is risk.
Risk of regret.
Risk of getting it wrong.
Risk of being dismissed.
And still—some choose to speak.
At other times, personal capacity must take the lead. And that, too, is valid.
There is no wrong or right in advocacy. No certainty. No map. Just a series of choices made in imperfect conditions, with imperfect knowledge, and the hope that something might shift.
Sometimes, you walk a path not knowing if anyone will follow—only to discover later that someone did.
That your footsteps became markers. That the caution sign you planted beside a hidden hazard spared someone else the fall. That the detour you took out of necessity became a shortcut for someone who came after.
The Legacy
This is the quiet legacy of showing up.
Not to blaze a trail, but to leave enough trace that someone else might navigate their own journey with greater ease.
Not to be the guide, but to be the reason they didn’t feel lost.
And that, too, is impact.
The Impact
Recently, I learned of two young people receiving diagnoses within months—diagnoses that typically take years to secure.
The impact is difficult to quantify. These individuals now have access to life-changing care. Their families have been spared years of dismissal and preventable harm. Their schools may be better equipped to support them. And society benefits from the reduction in collateral damage that delayed diagnosis so often brings.
This didn’t happen because a clinician made the connection.
It happened because of a conversation.
Because someone had heard about the condition and knew what to ask for.
That’s the power of advocacy.
That’s the payoff of vulnerability.
That’s the impact of choosing to act.
And the data tells its own story.
A recent Australian survey found that women with POTS wait an average of seven years for diagnosis—often mislabelled with anxiety and placed on mental health plans instead of chronic care. [See infographic]
Seven years.
Most begin that wait at puberty.
Those years cost them foundational education, formative experiences, and key moments of youth.
These aren’t just numbers.
They represent lost milestones, fractured identities, and preventable harm.
The Choice
So, the question remains:
Would you speak up if the outcome was uncertain?
Would you take the risk?
Not everyone will answer the call—but some do.
And in doing so, they shift the path for others—one conversation, one resource, one moment of courage at a time.
This isn’t just about advocacy.
It’s about any moment where silence feels safer—but speaking holds the potential to make the path easier for someone else.
My path was never certain. I walked it anyway.
Others spoke and guided my way.
Now I speak—because I know what silence costs.
No map. No certainty. Still, I choose the risk.
Silence is no longer an option.
References: Marie-Claire Seeley, Gemma Wilson, Eric Ong, Amy Langdon, Jonathan Chieng, Danielle Bailey, Kristina Comacchio, Amanda J Page, Dennis H Lau, Celine Gallagher, Biological sex-dependent differences in postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, European Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing, Volume 24, Issue 5, July 2025, Pages 762–771, https://doi.org/10.1093/eurjcn/zvaf048
Seeley, M.-C., & Gallagher, C. (2025, April 14). Gender bias in POTS diagnosis reveals hidden impact. University of Adelaide Newsroom. https://www.adelaide.edu.au/newsroom/news/list/2025/04/14/gender-bias-in-pots-diagnosis-reveals-hidden-impact
About the Author
A.K. Huntington is a writer, visibility advocate, and creative strategist who speaks from the margins with clarity, care, and conviction. Their work explores lived experience, emotional labor, and the quiet power of showing up—especially when the path is uncertain. Through inclusive storytelling and adaptive systems, A.K. builds spaces where voices are heard and impact is sustained.
© A.K. Huntington, 2025. All rights reserved.
Created with AI assistance. All creative direction and final content by A.K. Huntington.
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