At the risk of stating the obvious, my Ataxia with Oculomotor Apraxia type 2 is not that easy to live with, and I am going to try to give you some examples. I think I will start with trying to explain the mechanics of what is going on and then I will give you some instances of how it affects my daily life. I can also try to give a little bit of advice. So what is Ataxia with Oculomotor Apraxia type 2? It is a rare condition that affects muscle control and coordination and is often diagnosed between the ages of 7 to 25. Most people with this condition…

From a young age, my parents nicknamed me the “million-dollar baby.” Between the many hospital stays due to my seizures and diabetic episodes, various tests administered, test supplies, pump and sensor supplies, and seizure medication, the cost adds up. I am very fortunate to still be on my parents’ insurance because I do not have to pay for any of my medical expenses and I know that a single bottle of insulin can be extremely expensive, let alone the additional supplies needed to use an insulin pump or continuous glucose monitor.  Every day, I must test my blood sugar eight to ten times, count my carbs, and take insulin when…

In the distance, the sirens were flaring. There I lay struggling to breathe. What had meant to be a normal Sunday on August 17, 2008, turned out to be a tragic accident. I was in the back seat of the car while going home from church when it slammed into an electric pole. From that moment on, everything had changed. Following the car accident, I have gone through many challenges which have turned into triumphs. In the immediate aftermath, I had gone from a healthy ten-year-old to a bedridden patient on a ventilator. At that moment, I thought that I would never be able to walk again. For two years,…

CF has impacted my life in so many more ways than I could have imagined.  Even though this chronic illness has changed just about every aspect of my life, I have become a stronger, more resilient, and motivated person because of it. I was diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis when I was two months old. From that moment, I had no idea that my life would be completely different. Often times when I was a kid, I could not understand why I had to do things differently from all of the other kids. I didn’t understand why I needed to do all of the breathing treatments and spend hours waiting for…

It motivated me to learn that Bella Soul was offering the Villasenor Latinx Scholarship this year. I could have not be any more driven to apply. It pleases me to know that there are organizations that devote endless efforts to give people like me a boost in life, thus facilitating the road ahead of us. I was born in the Dominican Republic and moved to Florida 7 years ago which forced my family and I to learn a different language while adapting to the norms of a new country. This transition was tough, but like many other immigrants, we persevered to reach our goals. Of course, I wouldn’t have been capable of…

Dear Bella Soul Board: I am sincerely honored to have been selected as a recipient of the Anderson and Stowell Bella Soul Scholarship for the 2021-22 academic year. My name is Jared Anderson, and I recently graduated from Auburndale High located in Central Wisconsin. I will be pursuing a career of accounting at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point in the Fall. As my career progresses, I hope to gain valuable experiences with opportunities to attain leadership positions like management roles within a company or even become an owner of my own Accounting Firm. As I start my education at UWSP, I am very thankful for receiving the Anderson and Stowell…

My story is one that has many beginnings and many ends. Throughout life people are always saying that you only have one life to live, but is that actually true? Do we really only have one life to live? Now of course, no one can be born twice, but the feeling of being born again; becoming a “NEW’ you can be an overwhelming feeling. When I was sixteen yrs. old, I was diagnosed with Butterfly Lupus. “Butterfly Lupus” is a butterfly-shaped rash across the cheeks and bridge of the nose that is associated with the auto-immune disease Lupus. It includes sensitivity to the sun, aching inflamed joints, and severe fatigue.…

My name is Alecia Sankey, I am a freshman at Valencia College who is currently taking online courses. In 2019 I enrolled for an associate degree in general studies. I have previously completed three courses on the East campus. I am also deaf/disabled so everything is a little more challenging for me than for the regular student, but I don’t allow my disabilities to hold me back and I believe that I will be successful no matter what, no matter the obstacle thrown at me I will always find a way. I have been in and out of hospitals since I was only five years old. When I was five,…

It’s said that it is the little things that make the biggest difference and, while this is surely true, the significance of this statement cannot be understood until one lives life with a physical disability. At the age of 18 months I was diagnosed with spinal muscular atrophy type two (SMA II), a degenerative neuromuscular disease that deletes the SMN gene that is responsible for muscle growth. As a result, I live a life quite unlike the average person, as I only have limited use of my left arm and no use of my right arm as well as being confined to a wheelchair to get around. This certainly adds…