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2014 NJCTS Children’s Scholarship Award Essay: “Tourette is a Blessing in Disguise”

This is the essay I submitted to the New Jersey Center for Tourette Syndrome & Associated Disorders (NJCTS) for their 2014 Children’s Scholarship Award contest. I hope you enjoy it!

My grandmother always told  me that every person  was put  on this  earth for a  purpose. Some people bring music to the world or find new  cures for different  diseases. I,  on the other hand,  was placed  on this  earth to  spread tolerance for  those living with Tourette Syndrome.

I could go on about how horrible it is to  have Tourette Syndrome  and how it  has been embarrassing, depressing  and sometimes painful. I could go on  about how it has negatively affected my life. However, I  am past that stage in my life.

Through my work as a Youth Ambassador  and a Patient-Centered Educator, I  have become confident about living life with this disorder  and have become grateful that I  was blessed with the opportunity to make a difference in the Tourette’s community. I will share that Tourette Syndrome has positively  changed my life.

Tourette Syndrome has molded me into the person I  am today. Having this disorder has brought  me to new  and exciting  places to meet amazing and inspirational people. I want to show people the positives over the negatives of living life with Tourette Syndrome.

Having Tourette Syndrome is like living your life  on repeat. Same tics every day, the same sideways looks from others, and the same  need to explain myself over  and over again. Every day I  share my story in order to  educate the world  about the disorder, to clarify that having Tourette Syndrome rarely entails shouting  curse words  and absurd phrases.

I  can truly say that having Tourettes Syndrome is a blessing in disguise. It  has brought me closer to my friends  and family. It  has brought me to make new friendships  and go places I never thought I would go. I  can confidently  say ” Hi my  name is  Grace Hawruk, and I have Tourette Syndrome.”

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