I Believe That Anything is Possible

I believe that anything is possible.

There was a point in my life that I would have said that was ridiculous. I was logical, skeptical,

and I thought I knew exactly what could be done, and what couldn’t. My transformation was an

abrupt one: a near death experience.

During January of 2016, not a week after my fifth birthday, I got very sick. I never

complained of pain or irritation as a child, so we didn’t catch it until too late. I was hospitalized

with otitis media and cerebral thrombosis, or an ear infection and a blood clot in the brain. I lost

the ability to walk, and I spent two straight weeks in the hospital bed attached to a whole rack of

IVs. I received three injections per day, and my mother would bring me snow from outside to

play with afterward as a treat. Each evening, she would take me to the window and hold me

close as we watched the sunset. I often saw her crying, and I, being a five year old, tried to

comfort her. “It’s okay, mama,” I would say, “I’ll be better by Leo’s birthday and it’ll be okay.” I

did, in fact, go home for my brother’s birthday on the 21st, but I returned that night in an

ambulance to spend another week in the hospital. Even afterward, I had a portable IV called a

PICC line in my right arm for six months, and had to take three syringes a day of the most

disgusting oral antibiotics known to man. I didn’t know it at the time, but nearly every doctor

there expected me not to recover. I would be disabled for life, or worse, not leave the hospital at

all.

And yet, here I am- without any aftereffects, except for the PICC line’s scar. Somehow,

through the grace of God, I defied all expectations and got better. It showed me an important

lesson: if surviving otitis media and cerebral thrombosis at the same time at five years old was

possible, what isn’t? It gave me confidence. So, since then, I’ve lived with that philosophy at the

forefront of my mind. This lack of fear and stress allows me to set high hopes and goals for

myself, which, in turn, lead me to great success. My attitude has changed from “it can’t be done” and “what if x happens” to “I’ll fix it” and “what could go wrong?” I have no stage fright, no work anxiety, no lax in focus, and an “of course I can do it” mindset.

Even this spring, during high school applications, I had to take four standardized tests

and write six essays. I pushed away from thinking about how much it was and how I might not

get accepted, and took it one step at a time. After several weeks of anticipation, I got my

responses back. I was accepted by six of the seven of the STEM and IB programs I applied to.

But then, as usual, I had the next problem on my list. What school do I choose? I deliberated for

days. Again, I wanted only to make the right choice. Eventually, I landed on Blair’s STEM

program, and I still stand with my selection.

Over the years, I’ve had many experiences that have been affected by my belief: at five;

my first day of school; at eight, my first standardized test; at ten, the first time I sang for an

audience; at twelve, my Exhibition for the IB Primary Years Program; and all the projects and

first-times in between. Even with the trouble that came with those, I wouldn’t give them up for

the world; they’ve made me who I am. I seek out accomplishment, and I know I can tackle high

obstacles. Through it all, the same lesson has held true: impossible odds don’t exist- anything

and everything can be done.