Support #myEDSchallenge and help me reach my goal!

I have joined the May Awareness Month Challenge to spread awareness and raise funds to support The Ehlers-Danlos Society by participating in the. Please support me by donating to my fundraising page. Together, even a small amount can make a huge difference!

I was officially diagnosed with EDS is 2018 by a Genetic Specialistt, in Ehlers-Danlos at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester.

My journey with EDS has been far from easy. I have been in and out of doctors offices and hospitals more than I can count. Growing up I missed a lot of school due to medical emergencies, surgeries and chronic pain. At the age of 16 I was referred to see a specialist and have continued care. This doctor had discussed with me his concerns of a hyper mobile connective tissue disorder. It was not until college that the diagnosis would become more and more relevant.

I was very athletic and was choosing a career in sports, or so I thought. In college my body really started to take a turn for the worse. My dance instructor notice how different my flexibility was compared to other people that were flexible. She became very concerned with my health and not long after I suffered an injury that lead to me being considered too high risk by school. In just one semester I was no longer able to attend my scheduled dance classes. It ended all dreams of a basketball or a dance career, and I started looking elsewhere.

Cosmetology then became in my path. I ended up having to own my own salon to stay employed. There would be too many days in a month that I would be sick or in extreme pain, and could not make it into work. I pushed myself for about 5 years in this career, and it came to a hard stop. I had developed other medical issues that added to my forced decision to close my salon, and focus only on quality of life and my health.

Ehlers-danlos has not only brought a lot of physical pain to me but emotional pain as well. However, I have found a new mission in life because of it.

My mission is to share with others what we with EDS experience. To help them see that it is not in our head, but in our tissue. To show that our pain is real and so are those Zebra stripes. That even though hoof beats make you think horse; I am Zebra Strong. Thanks for reading some of my personal story, now keep reading to find out more information. Make sure to follow me on social media this month as I show my support and raise awareness.

The Ehlers-Danlos syndromes (EDS) are a group of heritable connective tissue disorders that produce a spectrum of complex problems across multiple systems of the body. Symptoms that are often seen across all types are hypermobile joints, (that can move farther than normal), stretchy skin, & fragile tissues. Each case is unique and severity may range dramatically, even within families.

The Ehlers-Danlos Society is a global community dedicated to saving & improving the lives of those affected by the Ehlers-Danlos syndromes, hypermobility spectrum disorders, & related conditions. Our goal is world-wide awareness and better quality of life for all who suffer from these conditions, regardless of geography.

Please support me as I overcome my challenges with EDS to participate by donating. Thank you!