Lucky

It hurt when I danced.

And it hurt when I watched. So after a couple weeks of sitting in class watching, I realized I might as well dance. And I’ve been dancing ever since. And singing. And riding horses and designing clothes. And, well, you get the idea. 

Since I was little, I’ve had a lot of health issues. But I decided a long time ago that was not going to stop me from doing anything. No one should feel sorry for me. My band is playing our first gig soon. I started a fashion brand called “Stretch by Lucky.” My specialty is making jackets, but I like making a little bit of everything. 

I know my mom and dad worry. They didn’t want me to try skiing, but I just had to. I didn’t really like it, but I tried it! I always want to be doing something. I don’t like laying around watching TV. I’d rather sew a new dress or write a song or hang out with my friends. They weren’t sure I should go on the school camping trip. I was sure I should. And I did. 

I go in to Hasbro Children’s Hospital pretty regularly for treatments and checkups. They’re so nice. I’m lucky they found my disease—Ehlers Danlos Syndrome—when I was young. It’s made my treatment so much better. My disease—a kind of connective tissue disorder—is not who I am. It’s just something I have to deal with. 

This is how I was made. Sometimes it stinks. But it’s me. And I really like me. 

—Lucky, Braintree MA