2008 Woodie Awards
Student writes on coping with childhood illness
Kathleen Maynard
Issue date: 2/16/07 Section: News & Features
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"There is pain that we cannot just simply walk through. It is the type of pain that stays with us each day and, whether we like it not, becomes a part of who we are. It may be caused by the death of a loved one, a deep-seeded fear, or maybe a chronic illness."
Maya Klauber '08 was diagnosed at age sixteen with spondyloarthropathy arthritis, a genetic disease that causes inflammation in the joints, tendons and ligaments throughout one's body, making pain widespread.
Prior to her diagnosis Klauber spent many years waking up in pain and wondering what caused it. She took her pain with her everywhere she went; to school, to gym class, on car rides, over to friends' houses and to bed. She dealt with skepticism from teachers, peers, and even doctors, who suspected her of dreaming up this "pain." She often harbored her pain, silently carrying it with her, hidden from family and friends, knowing that things could be worse.
At some point in high school Klauber realized that it is not necessary for kids suffering from chronic disease to also suffer from chronic loneliness. "Had I heard other kids talking about their experiences with their illnesses, these past few years would have felt less scary and considerably less lonely. I would have known that all the fear, all the words I couldn't pronounce, all the doctor visits were not just my personal problem."
At the time, Klauber only had a lot of impersonal medical books to feed her desire for literature on the topic of her disease. Over the years of coping with her illness she had learned two important lessons. First: being out in the open, rather than hiding, helps ease the pain. Second: doing something you love, like writing or artwork or music helps ease the pain. At this point, Klauber decided to combine these two therapeutic remedies; writing and sharing, to create a book on growing up with chronic disease. This book will be something that thousands of children and teenagers suffering from chronic illness can hold hands over, knowing that they are not alone.
Maya Klauber '08 was diagnosed at age sixteen with spondyloarthropathy arthritis, a genetic disease that causes inflammation in the joints, tendons and ligaments throughout one's body, making pain widespread.
Prior to her diagnosis Klauber spent many years waking up in pain and wondering what caused it. She took her pain with her everywhere she went; to school, to gym class, on car rides, over to friends' houses and to bed. She dealt with skepticism from teachers, peers, and even doctors, who suspected her of dreaming up this "pain." She often harbored her pain, silently carrying it with her, hidden from family and friends, knowing that things could be worse.
At some point in high school Klauber realized that it is not necessary for kids suffering from chronic disease to also suffer from chronic loneliness. "Had I heard other kids talking about their experiences with their illnesses, these past few years would have felt less scary and considerably less lonely. I would have known that all the fear, all the words I couldn't pronounce, all the doctor visits were not just my personal problem."
At the time, Klauber only had a lot of impersonal medical books to feed her desire for literature on the topic of her disease. Over the years of coping with her illness she had learned two important lessons. First: being out in the open, rather than hiding, helps ease the pain. Second: doing something you love, like writing or artwork or music helps ease the pain. At this point, Klauber decided to combine these two therapeutic remedies; writing and sharing, to create a book on growing up with chronic disease. This book will be something that thousands of children and teenagers suffering from chronic illness can hold hands over, knowing that they are not alone.
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