Danielle Lasker

My name is Danielle Lasker and these are a few of the things that define me.
Since birth I have suffered from a condition that has given me much anguish and many hurdles to jump over. Although my mother might beg to differ, I am grateful for my condition because of what it has given me. I am grateful for the fact that through this infliction I learned what it meant to be bullied, and through that, what it means to help and show kindness to others. I am grateful that I failed at sports and was drawn to art, through which I learned creativity and imagination. Possibly the most important things that my condition has given me is my voice. One of the side effects of my condition was a speech impediment and by suffering through and then conquering that disability, I was able to obtain and find true value in my voice. Having the ability to speak and be heard is something most people never think twice about, but I know what it is like to not be able to speak even though I so desperately wanted to.
People are defined by their experiences and I am no exception to this. Individuals are like rough rocks on a beach, and each experience they have is one more wave that crashes down onto them and changes them into the person they one day become.