My sister is kind and smiley, and can chat with anyone. She loves athletics, her knowledge from getting her CNA, and BBC's Pride and Prejudice. She recently cheered on the US women's hockey team, refreshing the score on Google and sending her family updates every period. While finishing her senior year of high school, she is working and saving money for college.

And then she had a stroke.

For months, she has felt that there was something wrong with her heart. But even when she tried to figure out what was wrong, her cardiologist and doctors told her that there was nothing to worry about. They even suggested that her symptoms were probably just caused by anxiety.

Fast forward to now. At only 18 years old, she had a full-blown stroke caused by a clot. Follow up tests revealed a hole in her heart that we had no idea existed; a hole that her cardiologists and doctors didn't bother looking for when she came in seeking answers.

But the amazing thing is, my sister saved her own life. Just two months ago, she finished a course and became certified as a Nursing Assistant. When the stroke hit, she recognized her own symptoms, tested to make sure, and managed to fight her way, with the right side of her body as deadweight, from an enclosed space where she was alone to the open to call for help. Thanks to her quick thinking and grit, an ambulance was called in approximately a minute from when her symptoms started.

My sister's intelligence and strength may just have saved her smile. But it won't pay the medical bills. Please consider donating to help cover ambulance and hospital costs so she can rest easy and focus on her recovery rather than stress about the financial strain.