Saturday, December 28, 2013

Mountains for Moms Thanksgiving

[reposted from Slope Media on November 28, 2013]

As we all gather round the table with family and friends, we all ponder this question together – what are we thankful for? Well for me, I’ve been thinking about this all semester, all year, and essentially my whole time while at Cornell. Arriving here during the craziness of freshman move-in day, and jumping right into the insanity we call o-week, I haven’t stopped being thankful for the friends, education and experiences I have been able to have while at Cornell, and one in particular, Mountains for Moms. There are so many reasons to be grateful in the world and Mountains for Moms is a group I feel lucky to be a part of.
Mountains for Moms is a group of students who is continually thankful. We are thankful for our good health, our loving and supportive families, and all the opportunities that Cornell has given us, a small student group looking to change the world. The biggest thing we are thankful for: our moms and our health.  We cannot stand the thought that mothers in this world are suffering, and we want to change that. Look around you – look at what great health you all have! Even if you’re not 100% healthy, we are at least lucky enough to have access to the resources to get us better in most cases.
Last year, I was diagnosed with chronic lyme disease. For those who don’t know, lyme disease can be a debilitating disease that affects your immune system greatly, leading to flu-like symptoms, aches, pains, dizziness, neurologic dysfunction, anxiety, depression, disorientation, memory problems, among many other things. Months of anxiety, depression, losing my vision, dizziness, and other mysterious symptoms finally drove me to get tested, and suddenly there I was, 19 years old, with chronic lyme disease, microplasma pneumonia, and coping with the idea I would have to modify my lifestyle completely in order to have any chance of getting better.
Most people might view this as a tragedy – I have not lived a “normal” college life for the past year – however, I think it has been a blessing. I will never again take my health for granted, and none of us should. I am beyond thankful for my supportive family and friends who have helped me cope with this disease, and my doctor, who has guided me throughout my treatment.
So many people are not this lucky. Can you imagine have a debilitating condition with no one to help you? Your own family won’t even look at you, let alone associate with you. You do not have the funds to get to any doctor, let alone get the surgery you so desperately need. This is the unfortunate reality for women with obstetric fistula.
I’m thankful for my health. I’m so thankful, I’m climbing the tallest mountain in Africa. I’m not asking everyone to do that, but I do hope you join us in spreading awareness and raising funds to give these women the gift of health that they never even dreamed was possible.

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