By writer to www.mdjonline.com
Editor’s observe: That is the third story in a longstanding annual collection within the MDJ spotlighting the county’s finest and brightest as they graduate highschool. The popularity takes on new that means with the lack of many senior actions as a result of coronavirus pandemic.
Jaylynn Taylor was 16 when, in 2018, she was recognized with lupus and end-stage kidney illness on the identical time.
Lupus, an autoimmune illness that causes the physique’s immune system to assault wholesome tissue, may cause signs together with persistent ache and irritation, swelling and harm to joints, pores and skin or very important organs.
Taylor’s analysis has additionally revealed she’s going to want a kidney transplant, and the teenager is at the moment awaiting a donor.
As terrifying as her analysis was, the graduating Pebblebrook Excessive Faculty senior’s mom, Tracey Oliver, mentioned she was shortly reassured it wouldn’t hold her daughter from reaching her academic targets.
“When it occurred, it was surprising. I couldn’t inform you how I felt. I used to be simply numb. … However when she went into the hospital, the second day she was in there, she was involved about her grades,” Oliver mentioned, including that her daughter was born with a powerful work ethic and a drive to succeed. “She was in ICU. She may barely get away from bed. However she was emailing and calling lecturers as a result of it was finals time.”
“I hate being behind,” Taylor chimed in.
Oliver mentioned her daughter has all the time used college as a motivator and has been laser-focused on her schooling since she was younger.
So it made sense that, after adjusting to the methods her life must change — studying how you can deal with every day dialysis, managing the persistent ache brought on by her autoimmune illness and understanding how her situation would have an effect on her social life — Taylor jumped proper again into her schooling.
The 17-year-old participated in Pebblebrook’s BETA Membership, Medical Membership and Debate Staff, she was a member of the Nationwide Honor Society, took a number of honors and superior placement programs and is predicted to graduate with a 3.93 GPA. Taylor mentioned she’s headed to Mercer College in Macon to main in biology, and plans to grow to be a medical researcher.
The best state of affairs, she mentioned, could be for her to finish up as the tutorial who cures lupus.
“We are able to hope,” Taylor mentioned, with a smile.
Daybreak Whipple, who taught Taylor in her senior AP literature course, and coaches Pebblebrook’s Debate Staff, mentioned the tenacity she exhibits is uncommon amongst youngsters.
Whipple known as her scholar “unstoppable and dedicated,” and mentioned she’s not simply fascinated by receiving excessive marks, however actually studying and understanding the content material.
“That’s one thing to be admired,” she mentioned, including that her perseverance regardless of her medical challenges additional illustrates that dedication. “She simply gained’t give up. She’s a champion, and he or she’s already gained, simply by her nature and who she is as an individual. She doesn’t permit challenges and adversity to cease her from reaching her targets and what she needs in life.”
Taylor has undergone a number of surgical procedures in her remaining years of highschool and missed many college days to make frequent medical doctors visits or as a result of, on some days, she was too exhausted to make it by way of a full college day in particular person. Nevertheless, Taylor says her schooling has stored her targeted.
“It’s all the time been a prime precedence of mine to get an schooling and achieve success,” Taylor mentioned. “Once I acquired sick, I needed it extra. The truth that it was a lot more difficult with every little thing happening, I didn’t need that to cease me. … And I don’t even have a look at it as, ‘Oh, I’m going by way of all this and I nonetheless did every little thing.’ I felt prefer it was simply regular.”
Taylor mentioned her analysis has additionally taught her to understand small issues in her life. She mentioned earlier than she knew about her diseases, she tended to assume negatively.
“This illness gave me a brand new perspective on life,” she mentioned. “Me with the ability to stand up out of the mattress — a win. Me with the ability to do an entire day of faculty — a win. Me with the ability to do dialysis and get up feeling good — a win. I’ve to take my wins the place I can get them and that’s additionally the place the optimistic perspective comes from. I simply select to be optimistic now, as a result of, you realize, why be adverse?”
Alongside together with her personal tenacity, Taylor and her mom credit score Pebblebrook Excessive Faculty and its workers for his or her flexibility and help. And at last, they are saying, “None of this is able to have been potential with out our religion in God.”
— to www.mdjonline.com
