Hey everyone! My name is indeed DJ Glander and let me tell you my Riley story. Every single person here, every person in the entire world, has their own battles; daily struggles that can tear them down at any given minute. For me, that’s external. I suffered a stroke at birth, and for the past 20 years I have been challenged every single day of my life to live with this disabling medical condition. I wake up in the morning knowing that I will struggle to get around campus without walking pains or that no matter how much I wish it, my arm won’t start magically working. A stroke, also known as cerebrovascular accident (CVA), cerebrovascular insult (CVI) or brain attack is when poor blood flow to the brain results in cell death. There are two main types of stroke: ischemic, due to lack of blood flow, and hemorrhagic due to bleeding. They result in part of the brain not functioning properly. Due to the stroke, I have many lingering conditions as well. I have ADHD, epilepsy, Cerebral Palsy, all sorts of impulsivity and can only use 30% of my right arm and leg. That’s why I wear this brace on my foot and my arm looks flimsy.
The stroke does not just affect me physically, it’s an emotional roller coaster as well. Every day, heck even today, I am terrified of what people think when they look at me and see the way I walk. It’s all a mental thing for me. I’ve been bullied most of my life, even up until the middle of junior year of high school. I did not want to come to school at certain times. It wasn’t until the start of senior year that I really felt comfortable with myself in high school, so it really sucked when I had to start all over again freshman year of college. Sometimes I think that I can’t keep going. That I need to just be a shut-in my whole life because I’m a freak. I don’t want people to cast me aside like a bad habit. These might be extremely radical thoughts, but I’d be lying if I said they haven’t ever crossed my mind. They still do, but I can always find ways to stay away from those negative thoughts. I am very grateful that people have a better understanding of disabilities in college and are more accepting than in high school. Life hasn’t been easy, but I have found ways to make the best of the hand I was dealt. I have adapted to do most, if not all daily activities one-hand; carrying things, opening bottles, even driving. I have adaptions in my car that make it legal for me to operate a car. I wouldn't be anywhere near where I am now without help.
This is where Riley comes into play. When I was a baby, my parents realized I wasn’t developing functions properly. I wasn’t feeding right or crawling the right way either; favoring my left side of my body. So my father, who is a neurologist (IRONY), called up one of his partners and we ended up finding out I had an ischemic stroke. Doctors don’t know why, and will never know, but it happened. Since then, I’ve been taking trips to Riley for everything from check-ups and tests to surgeries. I’ve had 6 surgeries on my right leg and 4 on my arm. Without Riley, I would not even be alive let alone walking. I shouldn’t be alive. The stroke I had should have killed me. My life was hanging on a piece of thread, and thanks to the amazing doctors at Riley, I’m a survivor. People call me an inspiration because of what I’ve gone through.
Maybe I am. But honestly, I get my inspiration from other Riley kids who are facing similar struggles as me. Because of my disability and Riley, my outlook on life may be a little different. I take time every day to just enjoy the things around me. I see the good in every single person I have met and have yet to meet in my life because I know there IS good in everyone. I have every reason in the world to hate my life. I cannot do some things I want to do because my stroke stops me. It flat out sucks…but I can’t give up.
Every day of my life, I make a promise to myself to be a better person; a better man than I was the day prior. Yes, at points my life is utterly awful, but I know to trust the process. It's so important to know where you are. And I know where I am right now. How do you go from where you are to where you want to be? And I think you have to have an enthusiasm for life. You have to have a dream, a goal. And you have to be willing to work for it. What you get by achieving your goals is not as important as what you become by achieving your goals. Hope is a catalyst. It can even move obstacles that seem immovable. When you keep pushing and refuse to give up, you create momentum. Hope creates opportunities you never would have anticipated. Helpful people are drawn to you. Doors open. Paths are cleared. I honestly do not know where the hell my enthusiasm for life actually comes from. But it’s there. And it might be one of the only things that is giving me the strength to open up to everyone here right now. The stroke may have taken away half the function of my body, it may have taken away job opportunities in the future, it may have even taken away some friends, but it did not take away my life. Riley saved my life. That’s why I love my life. And that’s why I love every single individual I live it with.
