Personal Narrative: ALS Or Lou Gehrig's Disease

As a child I was very fortunate to have a family like my own; my parents were truly happy and wholly in love. I was incredibly close with my siblings and still am today despite our little fights. Along with being close to my siblings my father and I had a great relationship; most people who knew me would have considered me a “daddy’s girl”. Growing up my father was remarkably proud of my grades and who I was becoming as a person. Oftentimes he would brag about me to anyone who listened. Like most children I dreamed how happy he would be to see me go to college, start a career and have a family of my own. All of that changed on September 9th, 2011 when I found out my dad had been diagnosed with Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis also known as ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease.

Given that I was only 13 years old this diagnosis was absolutely heartbreaking. I no longer enjoyed thinking about the future because I didn’t know how long my dad would be in it; ALS patients can survive for a few short months or in rare cases decades. Watching him struggle to do simple tasks like walk and talk was devastating, but I had to be strong for him. My father required a lot of care as his disease progressed and I was always there for him in every way I could. My dad developed bronchitis eleven months after I received the news of his disorder. For patients with ALS breathing is typically a difficult task, having

Knowing that I could be there for the many people who need medical attention and for their families would be extremely fulfilling. The medical field is ever changing; I am certain it will progress vastly in the years to come. I am highly interested in obtaining a degree and advance in my education as much as possible. My goal is to be accepted into a college that will give me the education I need to prosper in the forefront of medical and patient