Maddie Walsh Profile Final
A mile and a half into the cross-country race at the Galva-Holstein meet, Madison Walsh fell to the ground. She was having a seizure like episode. Later on she would be diagnosed with Conversion Disorder.
Conversion Disorder is a condition where the person had blindness, paralysis, or other neurological symptoms that cannot be explained by medical evaluation. “It feels like your whole body is shutting down. Sometimes I’ll lose control of my hands. My speech goes first and I can’t talk. I can’t let people know what’s going on as much as I want to tell them.
Maddie is a twenty-year-old sophomore at Morningside College. She is majoring in Religious Studies and Mass Communications. She is involved with the track and cross-country team, leads a bible study, and is interning at Sunnybrook Community Church. Maddie’s close friend Garret Ehlers said, “Maddie has an honest heart of gold. She is one of the most sincere people I will ever know. She cares more about those around her than herself. She is willing to sacrifice everything she has to help those around her, and do whatever it takes to complete their joy in Christ.”
It was only two years ago when the idea of college was almost nonexistent. Maddie’s entire senior year was spent looking for answers from doctors. At first she was misdiagnosed with Lime’s Disease. They treated her with Valium, which affected her short term and long term memory.
Valium made her so sick that she cannot remember parts of that year. “I spoke at graduation and I can’t remember some of the things I said.”
Maddie’s episodes got so bad that she had to end high school three and a half weeks early. She was beginning to lose hope that things might not go back to “normal.” “It almost scared me to think about getting better because I hadn’t known any better. I had just gotten used to making jokes all the time and being the weird sick girl.”
In the summer of 2011, she was constrained to a recliner by a window. The only time she would get up was when she had to use the restroom, and even then her dad would carry her. “Every morning I would wake up and look at the leaves. I was so scared that I wasn’t going to do what I wanted to do. Or if I was even going to go to college.”
It wasn’t until August at the Mayo clinic in Rochester, Minnesota when pieces of this puzzle were being placed together. Maddie was finally diagnosed with Conversion Disorder. For ten days she was given cognitive behavior therapy to help her learn how to fight these episodes. She was beginning to see the light at the end of this long, dark tunnel.
“The day we got back from Mayo that morning at 10:00, I asked my mom if we could go to college today.” She knew if she didn’t seize the opportunity she might never go. “It was probably too early. I mean I couldn’t even read the first day of class. But I was able to take twelve credits and simply hold on.”
Maddie still struggles with these episodes but has learned how to mentally fight them. Her faith has kept her sanity in this whole process. “I try to live like Jesus is coming back at any time. That’s just how I try and live. I definitely appreciate everything and try to have a good attitude because it definitely affects people. I realized the effect that people had on me and how my attitude could affect others.”
Maddie has now decided to take the next step in her life by applying at the New Tribes Bible Institute either in Wisconsin or Michigan. After graduation she will be entering the mission field through the school. She will be traveling to unreached tribes in other countries to spread the gospel and the word of God.
Maddie got knocked down, but she got up again. Nothing is going to keep her down.
Maddie and her sister Ellie at graduation in May 2011
News Comment #13
Trying to Close Orphanages Where Many Aren’t Orphans at All
Haiti is filled with many ‘orphans’. I put orphans in quotations because many of them technically aren’t orphans. Many of the children do have parents living, but because of the living conditions in Haiti, many parents cannot take care of their children. In response, sometimes children are dropped off at orphanages by their own parents.
This is newsworthy because it shows worldwide involvement. I have traveled to Haiti and seen how many children there actually. The nation is very uneducated on how to raise their children that an orphanage seems like the only logical answer. The men and women are poorly educated on topics like sex education so they do not understand the effects they have on their lives and their children’s lives.
Filed under Uncategorized | Comment (1)News Comment #12 Extra Credit
Families volunteer for annual event
Every year at Midland University in Fremont, Ne Thanksgiving meals are delivered to those not able to cook their own. This requires many volunteers. The event is quite large and many people in the community of Fremont help out. They either pack the meals up at the college or deliver the meals.
I believe this is newsworthy because the event is so close to the community of Fremont. It has a history and people volunteer to help out other people. Also the event impacts many people’s lives.
Filed under Uncategorized | Comment (1)Madison Walsh Lead
Madison Walsh looks and acts like a normal college student. She is majoring is Mass Communication and Religious Studies. You would not know that over two years ago she was starting to suffer from conversion disorder.
Conversion disorder is a condition where the person has blindness, paralysis, or other nervous system symptoms that cannot be explained by medical evaluation.
I currently just have the lead, not the whole draft, I do have the interview done I just have to form it into an article
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