The story of Madison
Growing up, I was constantly bullied due to my awkward appearance. At the time, we had no idea that my physical appearance was due to greater internal issues. At the age of 12, I was diagnosed with Chiari Malformation. Since that diagnosis, I have also been diagnosed with Ehlers Danlos, POTS, and Lupus. As you can imagine, this leads to a VERY interesting life.
Living as a normal healthy teenager wasn’t something I was able to experience. My vision would go away during class, my fingers would go numb as I typed an essay, and my legs would give out on my way to classes. While my heart wanted to be an athlete, my body didn’t approve of that dream. I played volleyball, basketball, softball, cheered, and attempted to run track, but quickly learned that I was terrible. The older I got, the more sports I had to give up due to the pain they caused my body. I vividly remember during football season, spending multiple games laying on the sideline trying to relieve the pressure building up inside my head. Yelling and jumping didn’t go well with a brain condition.
Right before my 16th birthday, I was deemed eligible for brain surgery to hopefully fix some of my symptoms. I was relieved to know that it would possibly help me even though a result was not guaranteed. After a lot of prayer, I had a Chiari Decompression surgery in Austin, Texas. It took nearly a year for me to see results, however I am glad I did it. Not only did the surgery help me physically, but it pushed me to be even stronger mentally.Â
I decided to close the door on trying to be athletic and I set out on new goals and dreams to work towards. As a little girl, I wanted to be Miss USA and I decided to begin chasing this dream. I was blessed to have an amazing support system that helped me work towards this dream. And I am proud to say that I am currently Miss New Mexico Teen USA. Now, I tell you this for a reason. I gave up on myself and my dreams for a while during my medical journey. I believed there was nothing I could do to find a NEW positive and exciting path in my life. I remember my doctor telling me “you just have to find something else to fulfill your time….maybe try journaling!” Yes, I looked at her like she was crazy! Scarily enough, she was right. Our dreams are still achievable, we may just have to alter them. Do not let your health problems define you, let them push you to achieve your dreams and inspire others. Never give up on your dreams! ✨