Meet: Olga Lucia Torres
A few weeks ago, while scrolling through Instagram, I came across a woman speaking about advocacy, medicine, and justice. Not from a podium, but from lived experience. There was something about her. Not loud. Not performative. Just grounded. She reminded me of me and what I’m doing here. Helping myself in hopes of helping others.
After friending her, I realized she wasn’t just an attorney. She wasn’t just an advocate. She wasn’t just a patient. She spent her career fighting for others in court, until a coma forced her to fight for her own voice. She was all of it — at once. And this is her story.
Where are you from and what was your childhood like?
I’m originally from Elmhurst, Queens, and Greenpoint, Brooklyn. I split my time between those two neighborhoods, though I also lived in other parts of Queens throughout my childhood. I split summers between Colombia, South America, and Levittown, Puerto Rico. My childhood was rich and diverse. I grew up a proud Latina. I am an only child on my mami’s side and have half-siblings on my papi’s side.
I grew up with chronic illnesses, starting with asthma from infancy that caused frequent trips to the emergency room. My papi was a chronic smoker. But of course, we didn’t know then you shouldn’t smoke in the same room where your kid’s crib is located.
I spent a lot of time with my childhood friends playing tag and stickball. Right on the street between the parked cars, stopping traffic so we could finish our round.
As a teen, I only made it to 10th grade before dropping out. And went to work to help my mami and abuela. I was really lucky to earn my GED and get into a top college and law school. I had amazing opportunities. Don’t tell my mami, but she was right: it paid off to be a good student.
I didn’t have any favorite extracurricular (activities). I loved being in the library, reading, writing, and advocating for others. I was involved in campus protests—anything related to cuts in financial aid. It’s no surprise I ended up as a public defender.
TV and Music
My favorite TV show is The Sopranos. My favorite type of music is Spanish music, like salsa and reggaeton.
Why law? Why public defense?
I knew I wanted to be a public defender when I went to college. In the places where I grew up, I witnessed black and brown people being arrested. They were often targeted simply because of the color of their skin.
I was fortunate that the scholarship I received to attend law school allowed me to do that. Since I didn’t have to take on debt.
The Bronx Defenders
I decided to go into appellate work after leaving law school. I wanted a strong foundation in criminal law and procedure before I started trying cases.
When the founder of The Bronx Defenders, Robin Steinberg, approached me with her vision for the office. It resonated with me.
The Bronx Defenders would offer holistic representation to clients. I knew what a difference this would make in our clients’ lives. The criminal injustice system is set up to keep people trapped in it. We could help break the cycle.
My favorite memories are of driving clients to rehab centers, reuniting family members, and meeting clients outside of jail because we had won their case
Shortened Law Career
My law career ended due to an iatrogenic brain injury. Medical staff gave me too much hypertonic IV during a routine hydration admission after food poisoning. It took me six years of inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation to re-learn to walk, talk, and take care of myself. All the basic things of life.
By then, I had held two legal jobs. I was not married. I was the sole caretaker of my mami. She had undergone one stem cell transplant and was preparing for a second.
Family Support
I was really lucky that my partner at the time chose to move to New York and be with me. We had only been dating for a year in a long-distance relationship, and after he moved to New York. We were together for half a year. Then I went into a coma.
When they thought, I was going to die, he stood by my mami’s side. When I came out of the coma, he stood by our side and helped with my recovery.
My family is extremely supportive.
Illness Rewrites the Script
Before the brain injury, I lived with asthma and a pituitary tumor. I also had hormone imbalances and diabetes insipidus resulting from the tumor. Additionally, I had lupus.
But the brain injury changed everything. I couldn’t return to trial work. I practiced health law for a year and eventually found my way to narrative medicine. I now teach narrative medicine at Columbia University.
Advocacy beyond the courtroom
I serve as one of 16 patient and caregiver representatives on the Patient Engagement Collaborative (PEC). Eight members appointed by the FDA and CTTI for two-year terms. In this role, I meet regularly with the FDA to provide input on medical product regulation. My focus is on improving communication, education, and patient engagement in the regulatory process.
As a member of the Advocacy Collaborative at the Patient Advocate Foundation, I join in a voluntary forum. In this forum, advocates exchange ideas. They give feedback on programs. Advocates also help design new initiatives. I contribute to monthly communications highlighting engagement opportunities and serve as a bilingual patient advocate, helping patients navigate assistance programs.
At the Lupus Foundation of America, I serve as the inaugural Northeast Region Advocacy Chair. I work as an ambassador across multiple LFA programs. I recruit and support volunteers for the Advocacy Committee. I also assist with organizational management.
I also serve on the Advisory Board of Hear Your Song. The organization empowers children and teens with serious illnesses. It also helps those with complex health needs to make their voices heard through collaborative songwriting.
Additionally, I chair the board of the Multicultural Media Correspondent’s Association. This organization addresses media diversity through thought leadership. It engages in strategic planning. It also creates platforms for measurable action and change in the industry.
2024 Sandra C, Raymond Advocate of the Year Award
The Sandra C. Raymond Advocate of the Year Award, presented by the Lupus Foundation of America, honors an individual. This person has demonstrated exceptional leadership. They show commitment and impact in advancing lupus advocacy. Named after the organization’s longtime president and CEO, the award recognizes those who work tirelessly. They raise awareness and influence public policy. They also expand research efforts and improve the lives of people living with lupus. It is given to advocates whose dedication goes beyond personal experience. These are individuals who use their voice and skills. They create measurable change within the lupus community. – Rick
From the 2024 Winner
Lupus is a chronic autoimmune disease. The immune system attacks healthy tissue anywhere in the body. It is your organs, your skin, your hair—it’s so unpredictable. It affects 1.5 million Americans, primarily women of childbearing age (between 15 and 44). 90% of those affected by lupus are women, primarily women of color.
Winning the Sandra C. Raymond Advocate of the Year Award from the Lupus Foundation of America (LFA) meant a lot to me. It is an award you never set out to win. You do advocacy work, whether for LFA or another organization, because you want to raise awareness of the disease. You also do it to raise funds for research. Additionally, you work toward finding a cure. But more importantly, you do it to be there for your fellow lupus warriors.
No Mission Is Worth Losing Your Family
Reluctantly, I’ve stepped down from boards and obligations to be present with my daughter and husband. I also felt the toll on my body. No amount of advocacy is worth it if I’m working myself sick and alienating my family. Thankfully, they’re my biggest cheerleaders, and I’m learning to balance.
What Do You Like Most About My Site?
The articles I’ve enjoyed have stood out for their authenticity. You don’t mince words, and people need to hear the truth. Living with these diseases isn’t a slogan or a ribbon. It’s the endless appointments, rushing to the ER when you spike a fever, and fighting with your insurance for coverage. Thank you for telling the difficult truths.
Author’s Note:
When I first came across Olga, it wasn’t her resume that stopped me. Though it’s extraordinary, it was her steadiness that kept me there. The way she speaks about advocacy, illness, injustice, and survival without theatrics. Just truth. That grounded strength is what I attached to.
We come from different neighborhoods with different career paths. Still, we understand what it means to have life interrupt the script. To build something meaningful, only to have illness walk in and rearrange the furniture. To sit in hospital rooms and realize the fight isn’t theoretical anymore that it’s personal is an amazing attribute.
I know what it feels like to advocate not from a podium, but from experience. To learn that resilience isn’t loud. It’s quiet. It’s paperwork. It’s appointments. It’s pushing through brain fog and fatigue and still choosing to show up. It’s telling the truth even when it’s uncomfortable.
What I admire most about Olga is that she didn’t let illness erase her identity. Instead, she allowed it to expand her identity. She is still an advocate. Still a teacher. Still a voice for others. Just in a different courtroom now.
And maybe that’s the common thread between us. We are both learning that purpose doesn’t disappear when life changes. It evolves. And if we’re brave enough, it deepens.
Thank you, Olga for the wonderful interview and the time you spent working on it with me. I pray all continues to go well for you and life brings you the success you so deserve.
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