I was diagnosed with EDS, also known as Ehlers-Danlose Syndrome, last year at the age of 35. Along with that diagnosis, I was given a list of autoimmune diseases I have. Things that for most of my life I brushed off as "I stood up too fast," and "My blood sugar must be low." I was told I have Mast Cell Activation Syndrome, POTS, and Temporomandibular joint-pain-dysfuncyion Syndrome. All of this was given to me in one appointment. To say I was shocked would be an understatement. It was a lot of life changes that needed to be made, and quickly. From that first appointment, we hit the ground running with specialists and getting things in my body under control. I have been a hairstylist for the last 18 years and this was no longer something my body was wanting me to do. So this leads us to the present. I originally went to college in 2005 and 2006 but chose to leave to go into the workforce and become a hairstylist. I have owned a salon since 2010 and loved every minute of growing that business. With the discovery of this diagnosis, it's given me the strength to return to school and finish what I've started. My goal with my degree and new purpose in life is to start a Texas-based foundation for EDS and all autoimmune diseases, also known as invisible diseases. Having an invisible disease can be incredibly trying for you because to the outside world, and even yourself, you look healthy. Very rarely you have any visible issues, which include skin conditions to discoloration. So having episodes can come as a shock to others around you, or you are labeled as a hypochondriac. I want to help people who have been recently diagnosed find specialists, nutritionists, personal trainers, and therapists to help them and their families understand the new life they will have to live. Having a place where you don't feel ostracized and can educate you and your loved ones can bring peace of mind. I'm using this diagnosis as my push into helping the community and get more acknowledgment towards invisible diseases. My struggles were dormant for many years, or at least controllable. But when my body decided it was done, I had to learn everything on my own. It made me realize we have one life and one body, I want to make sure it's the best life I can live, that all need to be taken care of and to be able to do that we need a strong community!

My health journey is an interesting one. I have always tried to be on the healthier side; taking all vitamins needed to maintain a balanced health internally in my 20s, to getting on an organic diet and going to the gym regularly. So being diagnosed with EDS, Ehlers Danlose Syndrome, at age 35 was very much a shock. If you don't know what EDS is, it's a rare connective tissue syndrome that affects each person diagnosed with it differently. It comes with a slue of other problems and health issues. Some won't appear until a health or life change happens. I had "episodes" starting at a young age that no doctor recognized as an issue. Starting with a cerebral aneurysm at 11 months old and post-surgery complications in my 20s. It wasn't until my husband and I started looking into growing our family did I start getting tests and we discovered my EDS. For me now it's a lot of body pain, mainly in my back due to the discovery of scoliosis, dizzy spells, and slow recovery from working out or skin healing. With this diagnosis, I had to relearn everything I knew about being healthy. I found out I was allergic to gluten and that combined with sugar caused me massive inflammation in my joints as well as skin allergy flare-ups. So the first thing that needed to change was my diet. The second thing that needed to change was how I work out in the gym. My muscles strain easier and are sore longer in recovery, so I had to learn how to effectively work my muscles without causing injury. Much of the learning process has been difficult, for reasons of training the brain differently after doing things a certain way for so long. This is where my new life journey began. I have been a hairstylist for 17 years, I left college my freshman year to go into the cosmetology world at a young age. At 23 I opened my salon, NOW Salon, which has been operating since 2010. With my EDS now being a big part of my life, I knew it was time for me to take a step away from behind the chair. I took this as a sign it was my time to go back to school and finish my degree. I have never been more excited and focused to accomplish something in my life. So here I am at 36 years old going back to school. I want to educate others on EDS and hopefully help others discover they may have found the answers to questions they have had for years. My goal is to start a foundation of Texas by 2025.

Hello, my name is Kristen Baker and this past year, at the age of 35, I was diagnosed with EDS, Ehlers Danlose Syndrome. This is a connective tissue disease that goes relatively undetected until something triggers the symptoms. It's considered a rare disease in the United States due to a lack of research and testing. It took me 7 months, multiple tests, and different doctors to find out these unknown questions. My goal, once I graduate, is to start a foundation in Texas dedicated to invisible diseases. This foundation will give recently diagnosed connections to specialists in the field of their diseases, nutritionists to help them create lifestyle changes needed to keep their conditions at bay, and community groups of others with their condition and therapy for them and their families to understand what and how to deal with their diagnoses. Invisible diseases are just that, invisible. They can be anything for autoimmune disorders, diabetes, lupus, and EDS. I truly believe people need this foundation because you can feel so alone when you find yourself with a diagnosis and your family doesn't know how to handle the news either. Having a location online where most, if not all of, your questions and concerns can be answered will help so many process what they are going through. I will work with doctors and specialists to start more research on these diseases as well to help the future of medicine to help with these diseases. The foundation will hold fundraising events and galas to help raise awareness and research for all these diseases. I've always known I was supposed to help others and have continued to do so throughout my life. Now knowing what I know about invisible diseases it's time for me to direct my passion for helping others to one purpose. This foundation will be my purpose. This scholarship will help me complete the classes needed to finish my degree quickly and efficiently. I plan to fast-track my learning to be able to get the ball rolling as soon as humanly possible. In the meantime, I will be educating as many people as possible about invisible diseases. I will put together drives, look for donors, and begin the process of starting the foundation in Texas. My goal is to have the foundation in the works by the end of 2024 and completely developed by 2025. I hope you join me in addressing this issue and continuing to expand our knowledge of invisible diseases.