I had many health issues at birth; I was a NICU baby and was in the hospital for more than a month after I was born. My deafness was not discovered until I was nine months. I had major GI surgery two days after my birth. I was very low tone, unable to hold my head up for more than a few seconds at 9 months. After I had had a feeding tube put in when I was 15 months of age, I began to gain weight and strength.
After another year, and many trips to specialists around the country, I was diagnosed with a rare Mitochondrial Metabolic Disease. Mitochondrial metabolic disease is a group of conditions where the mitochondria—the parts of your cells that make energy—don’t work properly. I had additional GI surgeries and medical incidents prior to beginning school. Luckily, my condition stabilized, and my GI condition was greatly improved. The metabolic disease not affect my upper body. That is why I stay fit and always say, “Keep Moving and Stay Strong”.
