Orange Ribbons Pinned in Our Dreams
By Ashley Mahoney

Ashley Mahoney, second from the right, worked with her sorority to organize an awareness walk after she was diagnosed with CRPS.

Being young and feeling invincible, it can seem as if the end of the world has come when being diagnosed with CRPS. It seemed that way with me.

I was a freshman at Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana, active in my theater department and in my sorority, Chi Omega, and having the time of my life, when a black cloud came over my dream of ever dancing on Broadway. I was in a wheelchair, I felt hopeless, and just wanted to give up. Who wants to live with all this pain? But then I quit feeling sorry for myself. I realized there were many people in the world much worse of than me. I actually could do something for myself to get better and even reach for my dream again. I learned in a short time that anything is possible if you just step out and try.

By telling everyone that I had CRPS when I returned to school my sophomore year, I was able to have a walk to raise awareness for CRPS. Many articles were written about me that raised questions about the syndrome, which in turn means more awareness! This once unheard of syndrome was becoming a campus-wide phenomenon…everyone knew what it was...and was wearing the now famous orange ribbon! It was such a neat thing to see people that I did not even know wearing this orange ribbon around campus.

Soon things started to get worse, my body just started to have a downfall, and to end it all I had a stroke in February and it sent me know to Marietta, Georgia. It was a miracle though. I do believe things happen for a reason, and this rest has helped me regain strength. I had my colon removed in May, and am ready to face theater and Ball State again, but I just have a little something attached-I have an orange ribbon attached to my dream. It is not stopping me; I just have an obstacle so that I have to work a little harder to attain my dream of Broadway; it will happen, because I believe it will. But what I have realized is awareness of CRPS is a passion I can never give up. I will always fight for a cure, because until a cure is found, the war is never over!

I hope that teenagers and young adults will write to me by e-mail with their suggestions. I would like to be able your questions regarding surviving school, how to start a walk for CRPS, any random questions that you have; or just want to talk. This column is for you. Please tell me what you want this column to be. We have all had orange ribbons pinned to our dreams…but please do not let them stop you. Just let it be a little detour on the way to the top!
Never give up!