About Me:

I am a teen who has gone through many medical complications. When I was young, one day my heart started racing. My mom immediately took me to the local ER where my heart was restarted multiple times. When that didn't work, I was sent to a specialized hospital for kids so the doctors could help figure out what was causing my heart to race at such a high rate. Later I found out that I had a hole in my heart AND I had Crohn's disease in the same hospital visit! It explained much, but as a preteen, it was hard for me to understand. I found out that I could no longer participate in sports until I had the hole in my heart closed, and still I couldn't participate in sports for a good while after. I learned that I had to take special medications for my newly found disease for possibly the rest of my life.  I was overwhelmed and confused, and who could blame me?! Luckily, family and friends stepped in. Stuffed animals and balloons soon overpopulated the hospital room. Every time I received a present, I was delighted! Those gifts were one of the only things that could make me smile. Why? They told me that people cared. I was so happy whenever I received a stuffed animal because they were so comforting. At my most recent stay at the MAYO Hospital when I received an especially comforting stuffed animal, I realized that not as many kids were as fortunate as me to receive such things. I now know that all kids and teens need the privilege of a special stuffed animal (whether they think they need it or not) because they really do make a difference to hurting kids.