My name is Alexandra Harvey and I am currently attending the University of Georgia. There are multiple aspects in my life that have shaped who I am, but the most important aspect involves my father. Ten years ago, I was sitting at my desk working on homework, but I heard a loud scream in my house. I ran downstairs to my parents bedroom. There, I found my dad in complete distress. An ambulance rushed my dad to the hospital to diagnose what was breaking down his body. With less than one percent chance of living, my dad was diagnosed with Addison’s Disease, a dangerous condition in which adrenal failure, infection, or even sudden death can occur due to a lack of cortisol production in the body.

Since 2012, my dad has been in and out of hospitals, often fighting for his life. Although he recovered from that initial attack, my family knew that with his diagnosis we would be forced to live life differently. In November of 2018, I was prepared to once again tell my dad goodbye. Painful memories flooded my mind as I remembered all the other times I had sat in that same hospital longing for words of hope. In disbelief, I took a deep breath, held my dad’s hand in my own, and leaned in to give him one last kiss on the cheek. Telling him, “see you soon, dad”, I let go of his hand and walked away. Unbelievably, he fought to come back to us.

This journey with my dad truly changed my life. I will always choose to see his illness as a gift. For I am more open-minded and compassionate, recognizing everyone has a story that has shaped who they are and how they view the world in which they live.