Biography: Having lived with severe chronic illness since I was a child, I never thought I could make it to adulthood. I lived my days in constant pain, exhaustion, and unshakable sickness – something that carved my bones hollow and distorted my perception of reality. In my destroyed mind, there was no way that this desolate, aching world was worth fighting for despite all the good I knew it held. Then came my fourteenth birthday – my parents gifted me with a sword of glass and electronics, a silent companion who could hold the depths of my vision and capture slivers of life. The weight in my palm became my weapon; with it, I fought my way through to the other side. This is a battle I am still waging; I suppose I will for the rest of my life, but it no longer feels like I am on the losing side. I am twenty-one now with years of memories tucked safely away, a new, brighter world at my fingertips and my legacy yet to be unleashed.
