As I have gotten older I realize that I am here for a reason. Growing up I have had some ups and downs in school, with life in general. Through all the lows, I reminded myself I am here in this world to do something positive with my life. As long as I continue to try my best and stay out of trouble I can accomplish anything I set my mind to.

Growing up I was that student that didn't really care about what I did, I would let my grades drop, not minding if they were good or bad. As I started to get older, I realized I needed to actually focus on school more and work harder to achieve the goals I set for myself. To do something with the life that my mother and family call a miracle.

When I was in my mother’s womb she was diagnosed with preeclampsia, which led to my mother having me at 32 weeks (7 months). There was no other option for me and my mother to survive if she didn’t give birth. I was born weighing only 1.4 lbs and with two heart murmurs. The doctors gave me a low chance of survival. I was in the hospital for six months in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. At 3 years old I had surgery to close the heart murmur that was already the size of a dime, making my heart work twice that of a child my age. My mother thought that was the end of my medical issues, but it wasn’t. I had to have another surgery at the age of 5 for a hernia repair. This is why I am called the Miracle Baby. I had to fight for my life.

Today my motto is, “Appreciate the life I have,” not take life for granted. I strive each day that the Lord gives me to be a better person and be thankful for all the blessings I have in life. By becoming a better person and trying my best in school, I will be able to accomplish my goals. I will make my mother proud and prove that all the worries, struggles, and fighting- for both of our lives- was worth everything we went through.

For the past few years I have been focused on what I want for my future. I know I want to work in the medical field but I'm not sure if I want to be a pediatrician, travel nurse, or ultrasound tech. Last year I did a nursing program and passed the test so I earned my CNA license. It was a great experience because I gained clinical practice which gave me the opportunity to see how it really is working in the medical field with patients and other doctors. It was a great experience and really made me want to keep moving forward with my nursing career. It is one of my greatest accomplishments in life so far. I know I have many more things to accomplish but I am just starting with my career. I hear so many stories about babies being born prematurely or not surviving, so I want to get into the medical field to learn more and make a difference. I know I can be the reason why another person can one day be appreciative of the life they have; the same way I am grateful because I survived.

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