August 1996 was when my journey into this world began… I was born a twin. Our arrival was definitely unpredictable. We were born three months early on the day of my mom’s twenty-fifth week of pregnancy. My brother, Christian, was born first, and seventeen minutes later, I came via C-section. My brother weighed one pound, nine ounces, and I weighed one pound, thirteen ounces. Six weeks later on September 12th, 1996, my brother passed away. I can’t imagine what my parents were going through having lost a child and having one who was still fighting for her life. Three months after my birth, I had a Grade IV Intraventricular Hemorrhage or brain bleed. As I fought, I know my brother was there right along with me as my guardian angel. I stayed in the hospital until I was three months old, and once I was stable enough, I came to my new home weighing five pounds and on oxygen. Around the age of three or four, I developed asthma due to being born with underdeveloped lungs as a preemie. My world opened up to countless breathing treatments of either Flovent or Albuterol, humidifiers to open up my lungs, getting patted on the back to break up the cold in my lungs and of course the classic “blow out the candles” test to check my lung function – fun. At six years old, I had my first seizure – a grand mal. My mom was the one to witness me seizing in the bed and frantically took me to a nearby medical center where the ambulance was called, and I was taken to the hospital. A few months later to a year after that, I had a pedi mal seizure. I was referred to my favorite neurologist – Dr. Gaudier, and was diagnosed with a seizure disorder as well as migraines. I was prescribed Topamax. God & that is what kept the seizures under control. I have been seizure free for sixteen years! My next diagnosis of Chiari Malformation was noted here, but not officially diagnosed. At ten years old, I developed walking pneumonia. I started getting sicker and had to be withdrawn from public school in fifth grade. I started having multiple GI bleeds – which were later determined to be food sensitivities/allergies. I also started having multiple symptoms that are associated with Chiari Malformation called cerebellar fits. I went from walking to having to use a wheelchair. I was then diagnosed with Chiari Malformation, Migraines, Hydrocephalus, Ehlers Danlos Syndrome (battled joint pain for years before diagnosis), Chronic Pain, TMJD, Hearing Loss, Ankylosing Spondylitis and Anemia. Now, at twenty-three, I am still battling and fighting all of my diagnoses on a daily basis. I have learned that stress does way more harm than good in any situation – especially with pain. Without God, faith, my family and friends, I would be nowhere. I have also learned that although I can’t change what I am fighting, I can use the conditions that I have been handed to encourage and help others like me. With faith, love + support, we are stronger together! xo, Angelica