This is the story submitted by our dear Chelsea Judd (aka Mrs. Judd, she's a teacher at Pine View, important to know to understand!)
Leah Cardoza was a student of mine this last school year
until January when she stopped coming to school. She is 16 years old and was a gem to have in class. She is a beautiful girl that is always smiling and making others feel good about themselves. She is sweet and very respectful to her teachers and peers. Every day I
would mark her absent and I missed having her in class. She had missed days of school in the past on
and off because she would have seizures, but never for months at a time. A couple of weeks ago a new girl transferred
into my class just before I had assigned the students to write a paper. This new girl happened to be really close with Leah. The paper I assigned was supposed to be a story. This girl decided to write her paper about Leah and
why she stopped coming to school. I was
shocked and had no idea that Leah was going through so much. I learned that she was being bullied at
school and her medical condition was getting worse.
Leah has been diagnosed with Chiari Malformation. Chiari malformation is a developmental defect in which the lower part of the brain, called the cerebellum, is squeezed into the space of the upper part of the spinal cord. Chiari malformation occurs when the section of the skull containing the cerebellum is too small or is deformed, which crowds and puts pressure on the brain. She is in pain most of the time and rarely gets more than two hours of sleep a night. She is often sick, dizzy, and experiences numbness and tingling in her limbs. Her doctor has recommended that she shave her hair off because even the weight of her hair can add extra pressure to her neck and head. Leah also told me that she wanted to support a friend that was re-diagnosed with cancer. She had read a post from a guy on tumblr who said that cancer patients were ugly because they don't have hair. Leah wanted to prove a point to him!
Her muscles and tendons in her shoulder are deteriorating, and the doctors are not sure why. They have recommended surgery for her with physical therapy before and after. Leah’s mom cannot afford this right now, so she is just dealing with it. Her shoulder hurts everyday along with her migraines and shoots of pains that go through her neck.
Chiari Malformation is easily passed on through genes. Leah’s dad passed away from the same
condition when she was in fifth grade.
Also, her grandpa, two uncles and one aunt died from the same problem,
all under the age of 45. So, Leah wants
to live life to the fullest! Her older sister, who is 18, is also
suffering from Chiari Malformation.
Her mom is a single mom and works hard to pay the bills and take care of her children. She does have insurance, but it doesn't cover everything. For example, just one of Leah’s medications alone, costs her $175 for 12 uses. She is monitored weekly with scans and blood tests, because if her chiari malformation gets too big it could burst and she could die. If doctors catch it before it gets to a certain size, surgery will be performed to help slow it down, but even surgery will not completely solve the problem.
This past school year Leah was dealing with a lot more than just her everyday health complications. Her close friend was shot in an accident and her brother was going through some difficult times. She started to
isolate herself and fall into a deep depression. Her seizures and condition also started to
worsen. This is why Leah had to stop
coming to school, quit her job, and quit playing soccer and softball. She became more quiet and withdrawn, and eventually students started to make their own assumptions and judgments without really knowing what was happening in Leah's life. Leah tried to keep things together, but students became more harsh. Someone even wrote in the bathroom, “Kill
yourself already Leah.” At this point Leah did not want to come to school anymore. She still does not know who was actually bullying her, because they remained anonymous the whole time. After she
stopped coming the bullying didn't stop unfortunately. Leah would like to make a change. Her only wish after what she has been through is to put a stop to bullying and share her story to let others know how hurtful and damaging bullying can be.
Our focus this year is going to be on bullying! Leah and her family also have significant health problems that we are going to raise money for but we really want to raise awareness on the issue of bullying and how much it damages. We love Leah and her family and are so excited to do all that we can to help her and to help the community! So get excited and keep a look out for upcoming fundraisers!
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