Never in a million years did I think I would be sitting here—as a student and part-time employee of Suffolk University—writing this. In my first three weeks at Suffolk, I was told that maybe I was too sick to be in school and that I should consider leaving. I knew that I was not getting better and that I was just going to get worse. I knew that the time was now or never.
I live with a progressive neurodegenerative disease that is going to continue to get worse. My disease is so rare that there is currently no name for it. My autonomic nervous system is aging rapidly and I am currently a 20-year-old living in a 60-year-old’s body. It affects everything I do—simple tasks like brushing my teeth, getting out of bed, sleeping, going to class, and so much more. It is scary to know that I may not be able to get up the next morning when I go to bed.
Suffolk has helped me find my voice in the world of disabilities. Even with a terminal illness, I can do anything I set my mind to.