We Don’t Flinch When the Hecklers Come
Every strong movement meets resistance. History shows it – from the abolitionists who challenged slavery, to the scientists who first spoke unpopular truths, to the women who demanded to be heard in medicine. The first sign that you are making progress is when the hecklers arrive.
Those of us who speak for women with Primary Ovarian Insufficiency (POI) know this pattern well. The moment we raise our voices, someone appears to twist our words, question our motives, or mock our compassion. They lurk at the edges of progress, ready to pounce.
But here’s the truth: hecklers only show up when the message starts to matter.
Noise rises when truth begins to unsettle old assumptions. And that noise, while unpleasant, is proof that we are no longer invisible.
We Work for the Women Who’ve Been Forgotten
We don’t work for the hecklers.
We work for the women who’ve been misdiagnosed, dismissed, or ignored.
We work for those who’ve spent years searching for care that doesn’t exist in the usual places – women who walk into menopause clinics and feel out of place, who are told “you’re too young,” or who hear their pain minimized as a curiosity instead of a condition.
These are women who deserve science grounded in rigor, and compassion grounded in truth — not stigma, shortcuts, or silence.
Every story we share, every clinic we challenge, every conversation we start is about building a future where Primary Ovarian Insufficiency is recognized as a chronic condition with biological, psychological, and social dimensions – not simply as “early menopause.”
Integrity Is Our Strength
Hecklers will always try to distract, but they can’t define the mission.
They use noise; we use evidence.
They chase attention; we build understanding.
They react; we serve.
Our movement isn’t about anger – it’s about endurance. It’s about standing steady in the storm and remembering why we began: to serve women who have waited far too long for science and empathy to meet.
Every act of integrity in the face of hostility strengthens the foundation beneath us.
Every time we stay calm, factual, and compassionate, we show the world that truth doesn’t need to shout – it only needs to stand.
Truth Will Outlast the Noise
The day is coming when the truth about Primary Ovarian Insufficiency will stand so clear that no amount of noise can drown it out – when young women who hear the diagnosis won’t face it with confusion or shame, but with knowledge, medical guidance, and community support.
We will get there—together—one conversation, one act of courage, one small step at a time.
We will not flinch when the hecklers come. We will meet them with evidence, empathy, and the quiet authority of purpose.
Because every heckle proves why our work matters.
Service. Truth. Heritage. — Our Compass Never Wavers.
Take care and be well,
Dr. Lawrence M. Nelson, MD, MBA
Director, My 28 Days® Initiative
President, Mary Elizabeth Conover Foundation, Inc.
