15 Jun 2016
When I was 15 (December 2011) I was involved in a cheerleading stunt accident that forever changed my life. I had multiple skull fractures on my temporal bone and in my ear and was diagnosed with a TBI. For years I worked hard to learn how to read, write and improve my memory again in occupational, physical and speech therapy and keep up in school. As a result of the accident I lost hearing in my left ear, still deal with significant vision impairments and migraines on a regular basis. Due to the accident and trauma my body experience I was diagnosed with Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (P.O.T.S.) at Mayo Clinic in 2012. P.O.T.S is a chronic dysfunction of the autonomic nervous system that occurs in some patients after a TBI. I still managed to graduate high school on time and was accepted into Bethel University, where I have had the privilege of studying the past two years. Despite the many setbacks, and eight surgeries, I hope to continue in pursuing my undergraduate degree in social work, and eventually my Master’s degree. My TBI has effected where I go to school, how I spend my time and who my friends are, but I plan to continue pushing forward to someday eventually help others. My biggest goal is to someday work full time despite my continued TBI symptoms.