Gabriel Martin Memorial Annual Scholarship

Welcome to my world, hi my name is Devin Spates and I suffer from seasonal asthma, eczema and I'm allergic to eggs. Growing up with one condition is bad enough but when you add all three together its not so fun. My days used to consist of my mom getting up to give me a oatmeal bath and putting non scented lotion and prescription ointment all over my body. She would make sure it was on me at all times but I still had severe breakouts. Summerss for eczema was bad but winters were the worst. There were days that my skin behind my knees would crack so bad that my mother had to carry me. I could not do alot of things that other kids could do like swimming because of eczema and the cracking of my skin. Getting into a pool was torture so I would just watch from the side line. To use any kind of soap that was scented was a no go as well because it would break me out further. No bubble baths no lotions. Seasonal asthma hit me hard every year mainly around the time when fall and winter collided. My asthma would be so bad that I would have to go to the hospital to have breathing treatments and sometimes they would put me in the hospital because my oxgen would be to low which really sucked because all my friends would be out playing and having fun playing football and here I was stuck in the hospital. I always had to be careful not to over do it physically but I was a boy not understanding why I had to sit out of something's while my friends didnt. The older I got and the more hospital stays I had to indure I started understanding I wasn't like other normal kids and needed to just learn to deal with it. I used to watch my family eat eggs for breakfast and I wanted some so bad but when you're allergic to eggs to the point that they can kill you, you figure it's just not worth it. There are alot of different items that are made with eggs like Ranch dressing. Alot of people don't know that some of the dressings they put on their salads or mayo that is used on a sandwich is made with eggs. Staying the night at other kid's house's and trying to explain to the parents what you can and cannot eat gets to be exhausting so unless it was one of my best friends that parents already knew what I could and couldn't eat my mom would just send my food she cooked with me. I've outgrown my eczema, and my asthma is not as bad it's a lot easier but I'll always be allergic to eggs that will never change. Growing up with thes disadvantages holding you back you learn to humble yourself, learn that despite your handicaps you can still achieve everything you put your mind to . I played basketball as a point gaurd for both middle and high school varsity as well as football varsity . I still have all three issues today even though there not as severe as the used to be they still cause problems every now and then. I still am allergic and always will be allergic to eggs, and I just learned that any kind of nuts might end up being a problem in the future so my mother has made an appointment for me to get tested because I keep breaking out after eating them.