Injuries and conditions cause problems for people all of the time, but many of us in this school are overcoming the odds, little by little, and have stories to tell about the hardships.
“I had a bicycle accident a little over 30 years ago by flipping over the front handlebars of my 10-speed bike. I landed on my head and broke my neck. The fifth and sixth cervical vertebrae were shattered and the result was paralysis, or what you’d call quadriplegia, which means four limbs impaired, though I can move my arms pretty well. People have acted in different ways towards me being in a wheelchair. Some people have even held their children a little closer around me because of the wheelchair.”
—Science Teacher Mr. Joe Antonio
“During pre-season basketball practice, I got a high ankle sprain, but after a few days, I figured out I couldn’t walk on it. After a while, the bone started protruding but didn’t break skin. It was an accessory navicular. I was born with an extra bone and the sprain just displaced it. After trying a cast, surgery was my new option. I had taken basketball and walking for granted, but now I take pleasure in small steps. Struggles define a person, and what I can’t do physically, I have made up by expanding mentally.”
—Senior Michael Le
“Having really dry, sensitive skin limits the activities I can do. I try not to do rigorous exercises because the sweat irritates my eczema. The beach is not particularly enjoyable since the saltwater stings my skin and the sand gets into my cuts. I avoid applying makeup unless it is for the musical or a BSS performance because my skin simply can’t handle it. It’s ironic that instead of covering up the flaws, foundation reveals every single crack of my dry skin even if I had just used lotion.”
—Junior Tiffany Wang