{"id":4094,"date":"2015-06-24T09:15:08","date_gmt":"2015-06-24T13:15:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/njcts.org\/teens4ts\/?p=4094"},"modified":"2015-06-24T09:15:08","modified_gmt":"2015-06-24T13:15:08","slug":"2015-njcts-childrens-scholarship-award-essay-pushing-through","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/njcts.org\/teens4ts\/2015-njcts-childrens-scholarship-award-essay-pushing-through\/","title":{"rendered":"2015 NJCTS Youth Scholarship Award Essay: \u201cPushing Through\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"

This is the essay I submitted to the NJ Center for Tourette Syndrome & Associated Disorders (NJCTS<\/strong><\/a>) for their 2015 Children\u2019s Scholarship Award contest. I hope you enjoy it!<\/em><\/p>\n

\"Meghan<\/a><\/p>\n

I was diagnosed with Tourette Syndrome at seven. At the time, my brother was the one\u00a0who had been diagnosed with Tourette, and he was having a difficult time coping with it. While\u00a0we were following up with the doctor, my mother asked what my chances were of being\u00a0diagnosed as well. The doctor said that, while I was sitting in my mother’s lap, “your daughter is\u00a0ticcing right now”. Due the experience I had with my brother, I understood what was being said\u00a0and did not have a bad reaction to being told I had Tourette. I, in turn, asked “if I was like\u00a0Justin” and that I was happy Justin wasn’t alone. Dealing with my Tourette has been easier for\u00a0me as I am on the more mild side of the spectrum.<\/p>\n

In order to understand what my brother and I were dealing with, my family became more\u00a0involved in the TS community. We were able to learn more about the disorder and about how it\u00a0passes down genetically from the father. Being diagnosed with Tourette\u00a0has\u00a0brought closer\u00a0together and we became more involved with the TS community. We would go to a camp that had\u00a0other kids, just like us, who could learn more about each other and how TS had affected us\u00a0differently. By going to this camp, it helped me realize that I wasn’t the only one who was\u00a0different and that even celebrities could have disabilities and overcome the obstacles. The kids at\u00a0the camp were taught to recognize our tics and became more aware of them in others.<\/p>\n

Tourette has affected my school life both academically and socially. I’ve always had\u00a0trouble concentrating in school. Knowing I have Tourette has helped me understand why I do\u00a0the things I do and why I have difficulty staying still in my seat which made me focus on myself\u00a0rather than the teachers. It has also made me more aware as well as defensive towards\u00a0stereotypical remarks. I believe now that i am less likely to judge people by their mannerisms as\u00a0I had been before.<\/p>\n

A contribution my family was able to make to the TS community was being featured on a\u00a0news program regarding Tourette Syndrome. By doing this news segment, we were able to help\u00a0make people aware of the disorder, how it affects the child diagnosed, and the child’s family.\u00a0This made me hopeful that people would be able to put a face to the syndrome.<\/p>\n

Overall, being diagnosed with Tourette Syndrome has had positive and negative effects\u00a0on my life. It has made me the person I am today; more aware of others disabilities and helping\u00a0others who are in the same situation as I am. I have even volunteered on the First Aid Squad for\u00a0my town. Tourette Syndrome is a part of my life and it makes me who I am.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This is the essay I submitted to the NJ Center for Tourette Syndrome & Associated Disorders (NJCTS) for their 2015 Children\u2019s Scholarship Award contest. I hope you enjoy it! I was diagnosed with Tourette Syndrome at seven. 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