Focused looks avoided my presence as I turned the corner. Faint whispers from students and teachers who simply ignored my existence. A drastic change from my ordinary life. I was a varsity cheerleader and an honors student ready to take on my Junior year; that was until the morning of September 7, 2023, when everything changed. The first day of Junior year can unsettle anyone’s stomach; mine felt more like a punch to the gut. I stayed up the entire night in agony with debilitating abdominal pain. Instead of sleeping, I sat awake watching the digital clock taunt me with its slow shift of numbers. By dawn, it rapidly deteriorated from readying for school to hospital triage where I was diagnosed with appendicitis. Once there, protocols designed to protect patients took a misstep, and common sense took a wrong turn. The Emergency and Radiology departments did not coordinate testing and followed their respective checklists in a vacuum, which caused an excruciating delay, hindering surgical scheduling. These inefficiencies led to my illness progressing to a life-threatening stage. My fever spiked to 104, and I was in and out of consciousness. Then my appendix ruptured and I became septic. After surgery, I returned home, but was left with limited ability to walk. I relied on a wheelchair for over two months while regaining strength. I returned to school with a paraprofessional assigned to assist with my new mode of transportation and to help with simple tasks. In the hallways, I waved at friends, with no response in return. I smiled at girls on my cheer team with no reciprocation. I felt invisible. It took me some time to realize that it wasn’t that my friends did not want to socialize, but rather, they didn’t see me; they physically did not see me. I was alone. Even in my signature “Skylar pink,” I went unnoticed. This sparked my realization behind why I had suddenly turned invisible. People tend to look eye level to engage so they simply walk past people using wheelchairs, like no one is there. For the times I was noticed, I kept a diary of shocking comments made, often assumptions about my intellectual ability. I quickly gained a unique understanding and empathy for people using wheelchairs. They are an invisible population. I realized that my school had several students in wheelchairs that I typically did not interact with, so I took the initiative to better connect our community by leading discussions about my experience in peer groups. I joined and earned the position of head of Team members with Impact Theater, a non-profit organization whose mission is to spread disability awareness. We write and perform original musical productions with characters that raise awareness of those living with physical disabilities, childhood cancers, and mental health struggles. I also volunteered for the only Girl Scout inclusion Troupe in NYC. Many members were in a chair or needed some other form of assistance. I had rewarding interactions while assisting them with projects and fundraising, getting to know each one as individuals. I found myself back in a wheelchair eight months later following a second surgery to remedy issues from the first. My experiences in the hospital along with a substantial healing journey, helped fuel my passion for healthcare. I would like to work with children with disabilities and help them feel visible. I will continue my involvement in organizations that can improve the quality of social interactions for those in wheelchairs through better designed medical equipment and making elevated electric wheelchairs more accessible, regardless of income. I want to contribute as both a caregiver and a change-maker to provide the best possible approach for my patients’ well being. My Junior year of High School may not have been ideal, but if I can become a healthcare professional, improve patient approach, and raise awareness for those that feel invisible, it was all worth it.

Focused looks avoided my presence as I turned the corner. Faint whispers from students and teachers who simply ignored my existence. A drastic change from my ordinary life. I was a varsity cheerleader and an honors student ready to take on my Junior year; that was until the morning of September 7, 2023, when everything changed. The first day of Junior year can unsettle anyone’s stomach; mine felt more like a punch to the gut. I stayed up the entire night in agony with debilitating abdominal pain. By dawn, it rapidly deteriorated from readying for school to hospital triage where I was diagnosed with appendicitis. Once there, protocols designed to protect patients took a misstep, and common sense took a wrong turn. The Emergency and Radiology departments did not coordinate testing and followed their respective checklists in a vacuum, which caused an excruciating delay, hindering surgical scheduling. These inefficiencies led to my illness progressing to a life-threatening stage. My fever spiked to 104 and then my appendix ruptured. After surgery, I returned home, but was left with limited ability to walk. I relied on a wheelchair for over two months while regaining strength. In the hallways, I waved at friends, with no response in return. I smiled at girls on my cheer team with no reciprocation. I felt invisible. It took me some time to realize that it wasn’t that my friends did not want to socialize, but rather, they didn’t see me; they physically did not see me. I was alone. Even in my signature “Skylar pink,” I went unnoticed. This sparked my realization behind why I had suddenly turned invisible. People tend to look eye level to engage so they simply walk past people using wheelchairs, like no one is there. For the times I was noticed, I kept a diary of shocking comments made, often assumptions about my intellectual ability. I quickly gained a unique understanding and empathy for people using wheelchairs. They are an invisible population. I realized that my school had several students in wheelchairs that I typically did not interact with, so I took the initiative to better connect our community by leading discussions about my experience in peer groups. I joined and earned the position of head of Team members with Impact Theater, a non-profit organization whose mission is to spread disability awareness. We write and perform original musical productions with characters that raise awareness of those living with physical disabilities, childhood cancers, and mental health struggles. I also volunteered for the only Girl Scout inclusion Troupe in NYC. Many members were in a chair or needed some other form of assistance. I had rewarding interactions while assisting them with projects and fundraising, getting to know each one as individuals. I found myself back in a wheelchair eight months later following a second surgery to remedy issues from the first. My experiences in the hospital along with a substantial healing journey, helped fuel my passion for healthcare. I would like to work with children with disabilities and help them feel visible. I will continue my involvement in organizations that can improve the quality of social interactions for those in wheelchairs through better designed medical equipment and making elevated electric wheelchairs more accessible, regardless of income. I want to contribute as both a caregiver and a change-maker to provide the best possible approach for my patients’ well being. My Junior year of High School may not have been ideal, but if I can become a healthcare professional, improve patient approach, and raise awareness for those that feel invisible, it was all worth it.