Graduation!!

Hi Everyone, 

Eighteen years ago I was born with a serious heart and lung defect. My parents were told that I had a 13% chance of living to the age of 5. A few months after that my parents had Hospice coming to the house to help prepare them for me passing away, thankfully I graduated out of Hospice Care. Six years ago I was on a ventilator for 12 days, a wound-vac to help clean out my blood stream and was fighting for my life against a deadly infection called MRSA that I had gotten during open heart surgery. Then just two years after that I was life-flighted up to California to get a pacemaker and a defibulator put inside of me at Lucille Packard Children's Hospital. This past Thursday I graduated from Horizon High School. 

As I walked across the stage to shake my principal's hand and to accept my diploma; my eyes filled up with tears. Graduation is a very important time for every person, but to me; this mark yet another milestone that people weren't sure I'd ever get to see. As I shook my principal's hand and posed for a picture I was silently not only thanking God, but also everyone else who has been part of my life. My mom, my dad, all my siblings, my friends, the doctors, the nurses and all the people who have prayed for me over the years. I have no doubt that without each and every one of you, I would not be here today. Whenever I have fallen down, you all have been there to help pull me back up to my feet. You have helped keep my spirits high, even at some of the worst times of my life. I thank you all so much, without you I know that I would not be where I am today.

In the fall I am going to go to PVCC then after two years I will transfer over to ASU. I am debating on studying nursing or psychology. But I know that whatever I choose and wherever life takes me, I have an amazing support system to lean on. Thank you guys for always being there for me when I needed you the most. I love you all. 

The past is history, the future is a mystery; but today is a gift, that's why it is called the present. 

Miracles Happen,

Becca 

Person of Character

Hi Everyone!

I have some AMAZING news to share with you all! I am SOOOOO excited, I can barely contain it! He-he.

Well as you all know, I am getting closer and closer to graduation every minute! Well this week I had an Award Ceremony for the graduating students who are receiving awards, scholarships and other recognitions. Well I was told by my old Junior English teacher that she had nominated me for ‘A Person of Character’ award. I figured that since they only picked one girl and one boy out of the whole senior class, I wouldn’t get it. Well I was invited to the award ceremony where they gave me the ‘A Person of Character’ award! Dr. Courson, our principal said this before announcing my name; “They believe in the inherent dignity of all people and treat everyone with respect even those whose ideas & ideologies evoke strong disagreement. They have a strong sense of right and wrong and have the courage and willpower to do the right thing even when it is unpleasant, costly or goes against what others are doing.” I am truly honored to be given this award. It means so very much to me.

Yesterday I got called down to the College and Carreer Center at our school. It is place you go for information on colleges, scholarships, volunteering programs etc. The lady there told me that along with that award I got a scholarship! The honor of being recognized as a kind and caring person was AMAZING to begin with, but then to find out I got a scholarship to help pay for college made me almost cry! The moment I got into the car that day I told my mom and she had me call dad right away! I can barely contain how happy I am for this wonderful gift that I have been given!

My sister Regan called me later that night to congratulate me. I told her though that it wasn’t all my doing. I have had some wonderful teachers. My mom and my dad from a young age have taught me about acceptance, being kind, understanding and loving towards all people. I would not be the same person I am today without the guidance of my family. My mom and dad instilled in me the values of love and acceptance. I would still try to be as kind and understanding as I could be and stand up for what I believe in, even if I did not get an award; because that is the right thing to do and that was how I was raised. My mom always says “You do something nice because it is nice, not so you can get recognized for it.” So to all of you who are fighting the good fight, don’t give up just because you think no one recognizes your efforts. I do. And the people you positively impact in your everyday life do. We are making a difference, award or no award.

Love,

Becca

Below is a video that my mom took while I got my award!

People in Need of Transplants are Moochers?

Hi everyone,

 I know I have not written in a while, I have been having some problems with my stomach. We are not sure what is wrong with my stomach, but I am horrific pains at times. I did not go to school pretty much all week except for yesterday and today for just half the day. 

I would like to share a story with you that happened during my 4th hour economics class yesterday. I can’t remember how we got onto the subject, but a girl in my class and I were talking. I mentioned how our teacher in that class was a democrat. The girl, we will call her ‘Money Is More Important,’ or MIMI, turned to me and said: 

“Democrats are stupid.” 
Which I responded;“Are you serious?”
“Yea, that’s what my dad taught me. From the moment I was little. Democrats are stupid.”
I responded with: “Funny you should say that when it was a Republican who decided that 100 people’s lives weren’t important and cut the budget for transplants.”
“Well we are in an economic crisis.” She says nonchalantly with a shrug of her shoulders.
“So you are okay with telling a 21 year old who needs a lung transplant that she isn’t worth saving? You’re okay with telling a woman whose life just started that she is going to die?”
“What do you mean her life just started? She is 21. What has she been doing all these years?”
“It’s a metaphor, saying how young the person is to be dying. And what has she been doing all these years? She’s been fighting to live.” I answered her question. Before she responded I added in; “Or how about a five year old. You want to go up and tell a five year old ‘Sorry, we aren’t going to give you a transplant. You want to do that?” I asked.
“No. But that’s not my job.”
“So as long as you don’t see the sadness and fear in those people’s eyes, you are okay with letting them die?” I asked her.
“Look, if its your turn to die; then you gotta let it happen.” She responded.
“It’s easy for you to say that because you are healthy and are not fighting a terminal disease. I have found that people who have never fought to live don’t understand the fear of death because you have never had to face it for yourself.”
“I just don’t think people should mooch off of others to keep them alive. Those are that person’s organs.”
That one really hit home. It is one thing to have an opinion about the way we pay for health care, it is a whole different thing to call hard working people who through no fault of their own either got sick or born sick moochers.“Are you calling me a moocher?” I asked her.
”Why do you have to take everything so personally?”
“Because I am one of those people who need transplants. I did not ask to be born terminally ill. I did not ask to need new organs. And plus its not mooching since the people agreed to donate their organs and save lives.” The girl did not say anything but shrug.The bell rang then and I left.

 My friend who was also in the class gave me some encouraging words as we walked to lunch. “Becca, people at this school are selfish, ignorant and stupid. They don’t understand what its like to have a difficult life. I have not lived your life, but I know from my own struggles what its like to have a hard life and I understand where you are coming from. I believe in karma Becca and I believe that some of these people some day will get sick and finally realize just what you are saying. They don’t care endless it happens to them.” I told him how much I appreciate him being so understanding and we shared a hug. While MIMI’s words hurt and disturb me, my friend restored my faith in the fact that there are people out there who do understand and care about others out there; not just themselves.

As I’ve said before, it is not about what party you are in. It is about human life and valuing it. It is not a conservative or liberal thing. It is about human life.

 Love,
 Becca

Ignorance and Darth Vader

Hi Everyone,

I bet you all notice that my blog looks a little different. Well thanks to my friend who shared a few sites with me I was able to find a pretty layout and a few cool

graphics to add to my blog. I hope you guys like it.

I want to share a story with you that happened to yesterday. I get picked up after school every day in the front parking lot of my school and I usually sit outside at a table with five other people. Two out of the five are Hispanic, one is African American and the two others like me, are Caucasian. We all get along really well and really like one another.

However yesterday a boy; we will call him Racist and Ignorant Freshman or R.I.F, came by our table with two friends of his. All three of them stood beside our table while my friend (we will call him Bob) was on the phone with his mom, talking in Spanish to her.

Well R.I.F thought it would be funny to start saying things in Spanish while my friend talked on the phone. R.I.F would yell out "No Taco Bell! Me want taco. Si! Si!"

First let me say that racism is never okay. But to add to this, it was not like Bob and R.I.F were even friends where Bob would know that the kid was joking. It was clear to all of us sitting at that table that R.I.F was indeed racist.
So I looked across the table to my other friend who was also Hispanic, and I could tell it was bothering her. So I said as loudly as I could; "Don't you just hate racist people?" He either didn't hear or didn't care. I think it was most likely the latter. R.I.F keep yelling as Bob covered one ear, trying to be able to hear his mom on the other line.

I had had enough of it and I could tell that everyone else at the table was growing uncomfortable. So I turned to R.I.F and told him "You need to shut up." In which I got the response: "What did you say to me?"
"You heard me. I said shut up. You're being racist." I retorted as the kid moved around the table to come stand beside me. By now everyone was quiet, including Bob who had hung up the phone.
"I was talking to my friends." R.I.F lied.
"Oh really, that's why you were looking directly at my friend as you made fun of his accent while he talked to his mom on the phone in Spanish?"
"I'm fluent in Spanish. I'm in Spanish 3- 4." 

I wanted to ask him: 'What does that have to do with anything?!' Instead I gave him the sweetest smile I could muster up and replied "Good for you, you racist." This got the response of:
"Yea ok, well you sound like Darth Vader."
That got me. While I can stand up for others being made fun of, when someone makes fun of me; it immediately stops me cold in my tracks. I had just taken this kid for some racist, but I realized that he was much worse than that. He was not only racist, he was an ignorant know-it-all who knew nothing.
"Wow. Never heard that one before. But just so you know, I had open heart surgery and was on ventilator. My vocal cords were paralyzed as I fought to live. That's why my voice is this way." I told him. I kept my emotions at bay as best as I could, but I could feel and hear my voice quaking a bit.
"Calm down." R.I.F tells me. Before I could say anything to him in response my friend who was sitting beside who was African American turned around and yelled at him.
"NO, you need to shut up! You are making fun of a girl who almost died! You're racist and need to go away."
"I have a right to be here, I'm being picked up by my parents." R.I.F countered back.
"Yea, well no one likes you because you're racist." My friend fired back, and then a few other people joined in to tell him how they felt. Soon after that R.I.F finally did "shut up." like I told him to.

My sister came to pick me up just seconds after that and as I stood up to walk to my car, my friend Bob turned to me and told me, "Thank you Becca." And that was when I smiled and told him that it was no problem. It was then that R.I.F's words could no longer hurt me. I knew that R.I.F and others like him had no power as long as we all stood up against them. His words at first hurt me, but at that very moment I remembered why I had stood up to him in the first place, because it was the right thing to do.

People will try to tear you down for doing what is right, but you still need to do what is right.

Love,
Becca

Camp Family

Hi everyone!

This weekend I had my camp party where several of the kids from camp came to my house to swim, eat, watch movies and just have fun. I go to a camp for kids with CHD. (Congenital Heart Defect) We went swimming (for about 5 minutes because it was too cold! Lol.), we had a water balloon fight, squirt gun fight, roasted hot dogs for dinner and made smores over a camp fire.
We all sat down near the end of the night and watched old camp pictures of us from years ago. We only get to see each other twice a year, so this party was a great and much needed get together for all of us heart kids. Before I went to camp, I felt alone and like I was the only one with a heart defect. But camp has shown me and so many other kids out there that you are not alone and that there are people out there who know and understand what you are going through.

All the girls spent the night on Saturday and we stayed up till 4 AM in the morning. We talked about boys, movies, fashion and even dancing. But for the better part of the night we talked about things that we couldn't talk about with any of our friends at school. We talked about our fears, about the times when we have been made fun of because of our scars, the times when teachers haven't understood of our health problems and all the people out there who just assume we are healthy because we look healthy. My friend told us a story about how a teacher tried to take her to the principal's office for using the elevator at school, she had tried to explain to the teacher that she had a heart defect; but he hadn't believed her. Another friend talked about girls in Gym class who would say how they wished they had a heart defect so they wouldn't have to run the mile. We all shook our heads in disbelief. "They wouldn't want our lives if they had to take 40 pills a day, get a pacemaker, need a transplant, miss a whole semester of school and be locked up in a hospital room for hours on end." I told them and we all agreed.

We talked about how we consider ourselves lucky. We are lucky because we were born in a time where medical technology was growing and becoming better and better each day, keeping us alive. We also agreed that we are lucky to have heart defects. Strange, I know. But we all feel that having CHD makes us more accepting, understanding, loving and appreciative of life. We all agreed that we wouldn't want to be normal teens because we fear that we may not be as understanding and accepting of others. We all know what it's like to be different and we wouldn't want to cause anyone the pain we have had in our lives just because people don’t understand. Two of the friends from camp were once normal teens before they found out they had a heart defect. One ended up getting a transplant and the other now has a pacemaker/defibulator. They both said that they appreciate life so much more now that they know how fast it can all vanish.

I have grown up with these kids. We have all been there for each other through the hard times, because we all know what it's like to go through what we go through. I know that if I ever need someone to talk to, or a shoulder to cry on; the kids from camp will be there for me. We are a family. We are all there for one another. We are all supportive. We all care for one another. We all love each other. This is my camp family and I love them so much.

Love,
Becca