Everyone is fighting a battle that you know nothing about, so always be kind.

10 years ago I was a healthy kid in middle school.

9 years ago I didn’t understand why I got tired so much faster than other kids my age.

8 years ago I had to wear a heart monitor because my heart rate was over 200 beats per minute. I was diagnosed with Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome and Dysautonomia. I was bullied for having to wear it.

7 years ago I was dropping unconscious multiple times a week. I broke my nose 2 times, popped my collar bone out of place, and suffered many bumps and bruises. It got harder and harder everyday to wake up. I was bullied for passing out in school.

6 years ago I was put on a medication that left me temporarily paralyzed and my blood pressure was 65 over 40. I was admitted into the hospital. I was put on steroids that made me puffy. I was bullied for being “fat”.

5 years ago I realized I couldn’t speak correctly, it all came out as slurs. I had no balance. I lost over 30 lbs in 2 months. I weighed 50 pounds less than I currently do. I was bullied for being “too skinny”. I was diagnosed with Graves Disease and Hyperthyroidism.

4 years ago I finally found help at the Cleveland Clinic and was able to go away to college.

3 years ago I started having the energy to go out on the weekends with my friends.

2 years ago I was living in NYC attending the Fashion School of my dreams.

1 year ago I started working out again and running like I did 10 years ago.

Currently, I am the happiest and healthiest I have ever been in my life. I still struggle with these chronic illnesses, but they will never win because I am a fighter.

September 28-Oct 4, 2015 is Invisible Illness Awareness Week. I fight daily, silently, and without any signs along with thousands of other people. With nearly 1 in 2 people living with a chronic condition, about 96% of those people are suffering silently with invisible illnesses. Point blank, it sucks. You can help make a difference by doing one simple thing; never mock a pain you have never endured. I look back on that girl in high school and wish I could tell her that her daily tears and wishes of it all to just come to an end aren’t worth it because life is beautiful and will get better. If you are fighting, just remember to smile because life is a fairy tale and it will end happily ever after, so if you’re not happy, just wait because it’s not the end.