Untitled - Saint George School

36 / AGORA
Against all odds… this is the phrase that comes to our minds after we
have the honor to read Nicole’s story; someone able to undertake a task
or quest when the chances of success are very low. Our Nicole, who not
too long ago was running around our playground, will share with us a
series of events that have occurred to mold her life and how she was able
to face them first hand like a true dragon. We encourage you to take the
time to step into her life experience through these words full of courage,
stamina and true determination. Here is her story...
“About a year ago, I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. I can recall
as though it were yesterday that moment in which I opened the envelope
with my results and pulled out a piece of paper with those two words
in bold letters, and just sit there breathless and shocked. The weeks
that followed were filled with anger, rage, impotence and the recurrent
thought of “now what?”
I was hospitalized for a week for further testing and to start an
aggressive steroid treatment. The looks on my friends’ and family’s face
confirmed my motives to feel beaten; their pitiful looks scared me in ways
they could never imagine.
But I can’t complain
Throughout those weeks I had
that unconditional love and
support for which my family
is characterized; something
that later on motivated me to
change my perspective.
I think that the diagnosis
wasn’t as painful as my doctor’s
recommendations when we
sat down to plan out how I
would have to live the rest of
my life. As he mentioned all the
changes I would have to make,
hearing him say that I could no
longer do strenuous physical
activity and would have to limit
my exercising to swimming and
walking was the final straw
that broke my spirit. I wanted
to die.
I had always been a very active
person and very fond of sports
and listening to someone say
that I could no longer take
part in something that had
grown to be a part of me, was
devastating.
During my time in the hospital
I had the luck, no, better yet, I
had the blessing of being visited
by others who had the same
condition as me. Complete
strangers motivated by the sole
purpose of understanding what
it was like and wanting to help
make the change a little bit
easier knocked on my door or
called me up to see how I was.
They constantly reassured me
that things would work out,
that I just needed to get to
know my body better and learn
how to work my life around
this.
At some point, I’m not quite
sure when, everything changed.
My anger was substituted by
hope and my impotence by
faith.
God knew how to get the best out of me in my worst moment. Ironically
this one thing that could have truncated all my plans, turned out to be
something that veered them into a better direction. My life was now filled
with appreciation and gratefulness for living. I felt the need to do better,
do more, and go farther.
Today, I look back on the year that has passed and can only smile when I
think of how foolish I had been to doubt that God had intended this for
me as a blessing.
This year, I had the honor of rejoining my ultimate Frisbee team, OUC,
with whom I shared the victory of the National Ultimate Championship.
I had the opportunity of captaining the Barracudas, our beach ultimate
team, and with them, won the National Beach Ultimate Championship
as well.
For the first time in my life I hiked the Pico Duarte, and did so in good
time and feeling great.
AGORA / 37