Just Like That

Picture this:

I was in the middle of greeting parents at Interlochen Center for the Arts.
It was Parents Weekend and my priority was to fill my class schedule with eager students who wanted to actively take interest in their personal fitness/wellness for the upcoming school year.

A student began asking me what class entailed and what we’d be learning. After I offered my response, she politely said, “thank you.” and proceeded to walk by. I smiled at her Mother who offered explanation, “My daughter won’t be able to do that”.
I simply asked, “Why?”.
The Mother ended with, “She has an illness, you’ve probably never heard it before; it’s called POTS.”

I responded with, “I have POTS”. Her mom said, “REALLY?”.

In that very moment; a fire was ignited.
At the time it had been thirteen years since my POTS diagnosis. During that time I had never CASUALLY met ANYONE with POTS.

Our conversation continued and we devised a plan. We followed protocols, I coached her daughter and overtime her symptoms became managed. She thrived.
The POTS Strong identity was born and I found myself elbow deep in thoughts, dreams, and goals for others who were or wanted to live POTS Strong.

There we were, amongst general public doing general things.
I wouldn’t have known, but I asked.
She would have kept to herself “as most of us do” and slipped away by feeling like the odd man out.

But I asked, and I’m SO GREATFUL I did.

#ChoosePOTSStrong #POTSStrong #KOWellness