Issue link: http://www.epageflip.net/i/998906
Tips for overcoming obstacles to be your best self BPT) - Everyone faces their own journey in life. This journey will likely have hurdles of many kinds. These hurdles can knock you down, but with the right mindset and attitude, they can never keep you down. In fact, they can actually make you stronger. Chelsee Nabritt has been overcoming hurdles since birth. Born two months early, she remained in the hospital due to heart issues and seizures. Nabritt also suffered with respiratory distress syndrome and was on a heart monitor for one year after birth. Her parents thought she was out of the woods when she was released from the hospital and she seemed healthy for many years. Then when she turned 7, she began experiencing severe nose bleeds regularly. "My mom was terrified and took me to the hospital where I was diagnosed with platelet storage pool disorder," Nabritt says. "It's among the rarest of rare bleeding disorders, but part of a larger group of over three million people in the U.S. who have bleeding disorders ranging from the rare ones like mine to hemophilia and von Willebrand disease. What we share in common is our blood doesn't clot normally, which can result in spontaneous bleeding into muscles and joints, and extended bleeding after an injury or surgery. It can even be fatal." Nabritt has always remained positive. Along with her healthcare team, she has learned to manage her condition. At age 7, she began attending Hemophilia of Georgia's Camp Wannaklot, where she met other kids with bleeding disorders for the first time, including only one of two individuals she knows of with platelet storage pool disorder. This helped her realize she's not alone. Whatever journey you are on, you will face unexpected hurdles. Staying positive and keeping your head high is important. Nabritt shares some of her life rules for overcoming obstacles and becoming the best person you can be. Choose to be happy "With a better understanding of my chronic disease, I made a choice. I chose to be happy and live my life without barriers. Had I chosen darkness over light, or let negative thoughts overshadow the posi- tive ones, I'd only be hurting myself and those who love me," says Nabritt. Pursue your passion pragmatically Nabritt says, "You owe it to yourself to pursue your passion, but as you follow your heart, you have to use your head and work hard. Right now, my dream is to one day pursue public office so I can create policies that enable people with bleeding disorders to live healthy, productive lives. I'm taking it step- by-step and that includes finishing my sociology degree before pursuing a dual master's."