Health Is a Privilege, Not a Guarantee
At 18 years old, I was an incoming college freshman, excited to open a new chapter of my life filled with exciting experiences and people.
Everything changed when I was diagnosed with two massive pulmonary embolisms and DVT in my left leg.
It Started in Greece
I was visiting my family in Greece over the summer when I started to experience symptoms.
It started with getting unusually out of breath during my everyday workouts.
Alarm bells rang when my leg doubled in size and I could not walk.
A Hospital That Couldn’t Help
It took multiple trips to the hospital to be diagnosed.
When I finally was, the hospital on the island did not have the resources or technology to treat my blood clots.
They kept me stable for a week until I was transported via boat to the main hospital in Athens.
I stayed there for about a month — missing my entire first semester as a college student.
Returning to Campus
When I was finally cleared to return to Texas A&M, I stepped onto campus with a completely different mindset.
I no longer saw my health as something guaranteed.
I saw it as a privilege.
I attended my first classes not with anxiety about fitting in, but with gratitude that I was physically able to sit in a lecture hall at all.
Every opportunity felt bigger.
What This Changed in Me
Before this experience, I prided myself on being resilient. I was the kind of person who showed up no matter what. Slowing down felt like weakness.
But lying in a hospital bed at eighteen years old, hooked up to monitors and IVs, I realized that resilience sometimes looks very different than I imagined.
A Deeper Purpose
Most importantly, this experience reshaped my sense of purpose.
Navigating a complex healthcare system — both abroad and in the United States — exposed me to its gaps and inequities.
I experienced firsthand how access to resources, technology, and timely intervention can mean the difference between life and death.
That realization sparked a deeper commitment within me: to advocate not only for myself, but for others who feel unheard in medical spaces.
