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Or this one time when I died…

I went in for spinal fusion surgery as a junior in high school. It is a very invasive procedure and a long surgery where they put metal rods in my back. While on the operating room table, just as the surgery was finishing up, I was given a dose of pain medicine. I instantly went into anaphalaxis shock and flat lined. They had to use a defibrulator to bring me back to life. No I don’t remember seeing any white light or any out of mind or body experiences, but when I did come to, the first thing I did was give a nurse a black eye. In my defense, they killed me!

Or this one time when I ran into a stone house at 40mph and broke both my arms at the same time...

I was in a race and lost control going down a hill that was wet and there was a sharp turn at the bottom. I didn’t make the turn and crashed into an old 18th century jagged stone house. I broke the 2 slowest healing bones in your entire body and was in plaster casts up to my shoulders for 4.5 months! It was not fun! I was unable to do anything for myself—eating, getting dressed, showering etc. Just what a 13 year old wants is more quality bonding time with mom.

Or this one time when I plummetted 30 feet free falling in the air into rocks off a ski lift...

Or this one time when I was told I would never go to college...

During the scope of my federal lawsuit against my town and school for inaccessibility, one of the moments that has always stood out for me was flat out being told by an educator that I did not belong in an honors level English class because I was not going to college anyway and that I should just be in special education. I now have a bachelors and masters degree and am less than two years away from a doctorate degree, from the University of Illinois. That is something that stays with you, it grounds me in everything that I do. I firmly believe that everybody has potential to do great things.