3/18/19

Having countless surgeries, various therapies weekly to maintain strength and function, and being a frequent flyer at the hospital for surgeries and illnesses that arise when you are going to school can become quite hectic and rather overwhelming. When I was in elementary school my mom enrolled me into homebound instruction. Homebound instruction is when teachers came to my home and we had mini school sessions and worked on the current material I was learning, because I was too sick and fragile to attend school physically and had to remain home during cold and flu season. Over the years I missed a lot of school leaving large gaps in my learning. Because of this, school became very tough for me. Math being the worst subject for me to grasp. Math actually caused me very bad anxiety. When I was in 8th grade I decided to remain home for schooling the entire school year because my anxiety was that bad. At the same time I was very depressed because I felt alienated from my peers when I did attend school. I can truthfully say for me it was the best decision I ever made. The beginning of 9th grade was a whirlwind of emotions for me. My health had declined to the point I couldn’t breathe on my own anymore and I had to have a tracheostomy. That didn’t go as planned and I ended up not being able to come off the ventilator. Between my trach surgery and recovery in the hospital and rehab I spent weeks on end away from home adjusting to my new way of life. Three days after being home an emergency arose. I almost died in my moms arms because my trach became ecluded from a mucus plug I couldn’t clear. If it weren’t for my mom and my aunt I would have died that day. A few months after, I had a spinal fusion and hip surgery. This too was a very lengthy hospital stay which set me back even more in school. Even though my work piled up I focused and actually completed school that year a month and a half early. I got hooked up with an amazing math teacher who gave me the confidence and new found love for math. I honestly had the best teachers for all of my subjects at that point. My grades began to skyrocket My last two remaining years of high school I ended up achieving National Honor Society. On graduation day I graduated with honors and wheeled myself across the stage to receive my diploma.