Twenty-four years ago, I was born with Myelomengiocele Spina Bifida. According to Wikipedia, my disease is described in this way: "This type of spina bifida often results in the most severe complications. In individuals with myelomeningocele, the unfused portion of the spinal column allows the spinal cord to protrude through an opening. The meningeal membranes that cover the spinal cord form a sac enclosing the spinal elements."

But what did this mean for the real world implications for me, my family, and my life? In short, this meant I wouldn't ever be able to walk, due to the severity of my disability. At the time of my birth, my parent's were told that I would not make it through the night, because there were too many complications that came along with the disability. The next day came, and I was still breathing and fully functioning despite the inability to move my legs.

After I defeated those odds, the doctors again told my parents that I would not make it past the age of thirteen, because of the way my spine was shaped. They said that my lungs would puncture my heart and leave me dead. I am here to tell you that despite what doctors know medically, they do not know you or your child, and what specific individuals are capable of. God makes us the way he does and puts on here for a purpose. I have lived a pretty stressful life, but I would not change it for anything, because this is how God wanted me to be, and if I was not the way I am, I do not think I would be here. I leave you with these little words of wisdom: If God got us to it, he'll get us through it.

*Photo courtesy Flickr Creative Commons