I am an 18-year-old living in Illinois. My name is Alexus Bergen, and here is my story. I have only been living with Multiple Sclerosis for two months now, but every day seems to make it that much harder to do normal teenage things, like go for a morning run, go to the mall, or even enjoy a nice cozy day watching movies with my boyfriend.
The symptoms started two years ago, after my biological father abused me by throwing me across a kitchen. I hit my head pretty hard on a buffet cabinet, and that’s when it all started. I was different after that happened to me. I wasn’t like all the other kids at school anymore. I started to walk differently. I didn’t think it was anything to be concerned about, and neither did my biological father. He said it was all in my head. My mother told him several times that I needed to go see a doctor, and he refused to take me.
The stability and coordination problems only got worse as time went on. I started tripping over things that weren’t there, having weakness in my legs for no reason, and not having normal functionality of my legs from the hip down anymore. Life as I knew it changed right in front of my eyes.
Today I am living with a very progressed state of MS. I rely greatly on my 23-year-old boyfriend to help me walk and do some of my everyday routines. Every day, my left leg has less mobility, I have less energy, and I rely even more on my boyfriend. I am 18 and have the worst symptoms my doctor has ever seen in a patient my age in his 52 years of practice.
I want to change the state, or even the city I live in, by making it a law that persons who have abused someone and caused life-long physical harm to them will be put in prison. It would be a long shot, but would anyone who would like to help me in this quest is welcome. If I can change one, maybe I can change many.
Alexus
Illinois
Submitted 04/29/2015
The informational content of this article is intended to convey a personal experience and, because every person’s experience is unique, should not be relied upon as a substitute for professional healthcare advice.
This story is intended to convey a personal experience and, because every person’s experience is unique, should not be relied upon as a substitute for professional healthcare advice.
