Have you ever had a day when you wake up and feel too tired to get out of bed? We all dread the moment when our lack of sleep eventually catches up to us, but on this morning, Tessa Kroninger, a sophomore at Elon, understood that this tired feeling had become her new norm. Imagine getting out of bed and working through the mundane tasks of your morning routine, before suddenly fainting after a simple arm extension. The mere tasks of standing up, brushing her hair and getting dressed were taking all of Tessa’s energy, similar to how most of us would feel after an intense workout. Boy, and we all thought our Monday morning slump was rough.
Tessa suffers from Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, also known as POTS. In layman’s terms, POTS is a condition where a simple change in position (sitting to standing, reaching your arm above your head, etc.) causes an abnormally large increase in heart rate. It seems hard enough that Tessa deals with this disease on a daily basis, but after being diagnosed as a young adult at age 14, and having to make the sudden transition from a carefree teenager to an adolescent with setbacks was no easy task. The process to diagnose the disease turned out to be a daunting task in and of itself. As a teenager, she had been to see multiple doctors and nurses, one of whom had the nerve to insist that Tessa was doing drugs and to, “…Stop trying to play this game.”
Luckily, Tessa’s mom happened to work for Duke Hospital and after one too many doctor’s visits regarding her daughter’s conditions, she reached out to resources at Duke Children’s Hospital where Tessa was introduced to Dr. Ronald Kanter, the Pediatric Cardiologist who, after running some tests said to Tessa, “I know what you have, I just have to prove it.” It was like music to this family’s ears! Needless to say, Dr. Kanter is the doctor that Tessa still visits on a yearly basis. Tessa’s team consists of Dr. Kanter and Dr. Leon “Yul” Reinstein, the Associate Professor of Pediatrics and the Gastroentorology, Hepatology and Nutrition specialist at Duke Children’s Hospital. Finally, Tessa had found her home!
When I sat down to talk with Tessa about her experience with POTS and with Duke Children’s Hospital, I was not expecting to cry, but low and behold, I did. The two of us ended up chatting for awhile about how her experience at Duke Children’s Hospital changed her perspective on what it means to be “sick.” She no longer fears the dreaded hospital smell, or the white coats that seem to be around every corner. Instead, she thinks of the hospital as a happy place, a safe zone, a place that very literally changes lives. When Tessa refers to Duke and its’ staff, she refers to them as her family, and she treats these people like her family by volunteering endless hours at Duke even while she lives a busy college lifestyle. It is not common to be able to walk into a hospital and be greeted by staff who know your name, your family, your school, your favorite food, your age or even your latest crush, but at Duke, the staff members have become Tessa’s friends and extended family. There is something to be said for a hospital that can create the type of environment where patients generally come in with a smile on his or her face.
Tessa’s experience inspired her in such a way that she now chooses to give back not only by volunteering at Duke, but also by being an avid participant and committee member in ELONTHON, Elon’s very own 24 hour dance marathon that raises money for Duke Children’s Hospital. Despite having an illness that makes it very difficult to stand on her feet for a full 24 hours, Tessa is extremely dedicated to ELONTHON and participated on the Morale Committee last year and Families Committee for ELONTHON 2013. When I spoke to Tessa about her experience at ELONTHON last year, she had nothing but wonderful things to say. In fact, she even went so far as to declare that, “ELONTHON is one of the best weekends on campus!” To Tessa, ELONTHON is more than just a dance marathon that raises money because she understands first hand that without our funds, Duke cannot afford to put in playrooms for young patients or to fix the patch on the wall that has been there for years.
Tessa’s desire to commit another 24 hours to ELONTHON speaks volumes about how much this event means to her, and this year, she chose to get involved in the Families Committee because she wanted to develop a more personal relationship with families that she likely has much in common with.
Not only is Tessa volunteering her time to ELONTHON, but she is also volunteering her experience and her knowledge to help other struggling children feel reassured about their potential. This is why we THON.
Tessa’s story is amazing, and I can undoubtedly say that she is one of the most inspirational people that I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. Her spirit, her humility, her character, her care and her genuine love for life are contagious; I couldn’t help but smile! Tessa’s experience inspired her and her friends to get involved with Dysautonomia Youth Network of America, Inc (DYNA). This non-profit organization is dedicated to childhood/adolescent/young adults with onset dysautonomia condition (a broad term that describes any disease or malfunction of the autonomic nervous system, including heart rate).
We dance for people like Tessa. We dance so that people like Tessa can share their stories and inspire us to never stop dancing because at one point, there was a time when she could not. Tessa, thanks for all you do! We’re lucky to have you on board with the Elonthon crew. SMILE ON!
Got a story you want to share? We’d love to talk with you!
Contact: Stephanie Quinn at squinn5@elon.edu or Brogan Boles at bboles3@elon.edu