Inspiration or Desperation? Useful Facts to Be Aware of
In everyone’s lives there are many obstacles that we must overcome and difficult decisions that we must make. We can always find a way to take the shortcut or easier path, but it’s how we manage our lives, our goals, our dreams and our contributions to society that defines who we are.
After having lived through some very trying times in my own life, I could either be consumed by the desperation I was feeling or be inspired to be strong for my family, be successful in my career and help give back to society. With this in mind, I decided that with six children and a sick husband that I would do whatever it took to maintain our current lifestyle and create an environment that would help inspire my children to become productive contributors in society as they grow up and become part of our future.
I went back to college and completed my first Masters Degree in Education and went on to complete my second Masters in Literacy. Since this time I’ve become an Elementary Education teacher, an Elementary Education Reading teacher and recently started a Home Business and Opportunities Website to make money on the web.
To help better explain what inspires me and that any obstacle can be overcome, my daughter prior to going off to college as a Pre-Med major wrote the following scholarship application letter:
Dear Elizabeth T. McNamee Scholarship Committee,
As a high school senior I have spent countless hours completing scholarship applications, just as most other seniors do at this time of the year. However, this essay is different. As I sit to write this particular scholarship essay, my eyes brim with tears. My life has also been affected by hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.
When I was in the sixth grade at Udall Middle School, I was living an ordinary life of a typical eleven year old. Then one day everything changed. On Friday, April 19, 2002, my 40 year old father was diagnosed with a hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. It was very sudden and unexpected. My dad’s heart was so badly damaged upon diagnosis (his ejection fraction was only 15%) he was not expected to live very long with that heart.
After multiple procedures, a surgery, an implanted defibrillator, and two weeks of hospitalization he came home. He and my mom both tried to keep a brave face for me and my five siblings as we embarked on a new life of uncertainty and little income.
My dad could no longer work and my once stay-at-home mom went back to school to become a teacher and worked various part-time jobs to make ends meet. My parents became involved with HCMA (The Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Association) and have received medical treatment from world renowned cardiologists. My siblings and I now have annual evaluations since this particular disease is often familial and without symptoms.
Fast forward six years and my dad is still with us, beating the odds every day. He has an unexplained strength and great desire to live as he pursues stem cell options, manages his disease with meds, and has a keen awareness of all the latest advances. While he is still symptomatic, he rarely complains and has even mustered up the strength to go back to the workforce just a few weeks ago. My mom eventually became a teacher and although she has to work two jobs, she and my dad are trying to make ends meet. We have been fortunate enough to receive support from many wonderful friends, West Islip teachers, and the Lionheart Fund so that we can maintain our life as a large family.
I would like to be considered for scholarship because I feel that finances should not be an obstacle in my educational journey. A lack of resources should never limit one’s quest for knowledge. I intend to pursue a B.S. in Biology at Philadelphia University before entering medical school. While I am keenly aware of the financial obligations I will incur in student loans, I will not be discouraged.
Since the diagnosis of my father’s heart disease, my desire to enter the medical field has not wavered. It has only strengthened. The financial strain my family has faced, as well as the lifestyle change, has not caused my spirit to fade. In fact, the contrary is true, as I hope to pursue an occupation in the field of medicine where I can make a difference in the lives of the sick and their families one day. After all, I live with my father’s illness every day and have a strong sense of the empathy that is so greatly needed in the medical community. I hope to one day make a difference to a family in need.
My daughter won that scholarship that year. I along with my children, have decided to volunteer for the Elizabeth T. McNamee Fund to raise money for an important cause and teach my children the importance of pay it forward.
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