Ever since I was a little girl I have been different. When I would try to do normal
activities, such as playing at recess or going for walks. Even a little thing like sitting in a class
brought me pain. And this is all because I was born with Klippel Trenaunay Syndrome and
Lymphedema all throughout my left leg. A lot of doctors never knew what was wrong with me
and just said that I was a healthy baby, but my mom knew for a fact that I was not normal.
Doctor after doctor and she still couldn’t find the answer, until she found Dr. Martin Lacey. He
took one look at me and without a doubt diagnosed me with K-T and Lymphedema. From there
we were able to get more and more answers to why my body was acting differently than a
normal body would. Throughout these last 17 years of my life, I have dealt with excruciating
pain, extreme inflammation, and have even come to the point that it has caused blood clots. I
have been learning that my body is very complex because of these problems, and I will never
live life like a normal person. I'm not able to live by myself, I can't do anything that involves
running or heavy lifting, and I can't have a normal job. And these are just a few of the
restrictions that come with my disabilities. I could go on and on about all the bad things that
have come out of these disabilities, but there have also been some good things that have come
out of this.
Through all the pain and restriction that I have endured, it has caused me to find many of
my passions in life. Music has always been something that I used almost as a coping
mechanism for my pain. But I didn’t really start to connect with it until my freshman year of high
school. I was given a guitar, and when I picked that guitar up, I completely fell in love. After that
I started singing lessons and from there my passion for music just got stronger. About a year
ago I started singing on my Youth Worship Team, and the instant I got on that stage I knew that
was exactly what I was meant to do. And that is exactly what I plan to do.
With this scholarship, I plan to pay for my college expenses so that I can pursue my
dream of becoming a Worship Leader. Getting my degree in Worship Leading would help me to
be fully equipped for a job in Ministry. With this scholarship, I will be able to grow in my skills
and relationships. With this scholarship, I can pursue who God is calling me to be.