Gemini is my name, and I am 11 years old. I was adopted when I was four years old, seven years ago.
I was born in Japan, near the city of Tokyo. I have long, stick-straight, blue-black hair that goes to just above my waist, uptilted gold eyes (yes, GOLD), and a roundish face that has an olive-yellow cast to it. I have very little trace of my Japanese accent left when I talk. I am very thin, but I am kinda' tall for my age.
I am an active girl. I love to engage in many different activities: that is, I love to do gymnastics (my goal in life is to be an Olympic-caliber gymnast), take dancing lessons (I can do modern or jazz, tap, and clog dancing), sing, play drums, fiddle, accordion, keyboards, and marimba (I am very musically inclined), go to country music concerts, travel, watch "Star Search" on tv (my little sister, Ronee', who is a year younger than me, was recently on "Star Search", but she lost in the semi-finals; still, she did great, and she was happy to have been there) (I also watch "American Idol", "Nashville Star", "American Dreams", "Seventh Heaven", and "Family Affair" on tv), play with my brothers or sisters, eat Japanese food or pizza, and write poetry. I also love to read and go shopping, and I love to dress up in my Japanese kimono and watch programs about my birth country. I someday hope to return to Japan and see it for myself because I really don't remember much of it.
I am not the kid you think I am because I have what is known as a "hidden" disability. That is, I may look like I have nothing wrong with me, but the truth is, I do. I am a child who has epilepsy, and my epilepsy causes me to have convulsions from time to time. Sure, they can be scary for a person to see, but the trick is to remain calm, move objects out of the way if I fall to the ground unconscious (so I don't hurt myself during my seizure) and put me on my side; and check to make sure I am breathing. If I am not breathing, then one will have to do mouth to mouth resuscitation on me and call for an ambulance. If I don't stop breathing (and I usually DO NOT), then all you have to do is stay by my side and watch over me and then call my doctor, to let him know what happened; and then let me sleep. But other than my seizures, and other than having to take medications, I am just like you. Having epilepsy doesn't make me contagious or something, and besides, you can't "catch" epilepsy, like you can a cold. Either you are born with it, or you may develop it as a result of an accident or sickness. That is what happened to me. I fell off a swing when I was really little, and I hurt my head; and ever since, I have had seizures from time to time. But as long as I take my medicine, then I won't have as many seizures, and I can live a near-normal life.
I have many friends (including Tamantha Lewis, who is my best friend!), even with having epilepsy, and they know of my "condition". I also wear a special "Medic-Alert" bracelet that lets others know of my situation and what to do when I have a seizure. They have been very good and supportive, and that really means a lot to me. A lot of people who have a seizure disorder aren't as fortunate, and a lot of them are often treated badly, which is a shame.
I live in Nashville, Tennessee, with my mother, Louisiana, and my father, Bill ("William"), and also my brothers and sisters. All of my brothers and sisters are adopted, too, just like me. But despite our different skin colors or backgrounds or beliefs, we are still brothers and sisters of the heart, and we love and support each other very much. We also have a lot of pets, including birds, fish, dogs, and cats. It is a very noisy and busy place, our house. But it is definitely FAR from being BORING! :)
I am in the fifth grade at Eastview Elementary School, and my teacher is Mrs. Gonzales. She is really nice, and I love school. She makes it fun, and I love all my classes. And it helps having friends who love and accept me, even though I DO have a disability that people often don't understand or easily accept.
excellent, descriptive write, good advice on what do do if someone has a seizue...but you forgot to say NEVER put anything in a seizing person's mouth...otherwise, a great write! (((HUGS))) and love, karla. :)
Winner of two 2020 Royal Dragonfly Book Awards in the Ebooks Category:
Best Illustrations: 2nd Place
Picture Books Ages 6 and Older: Honorable Mention
Can a bee-eating German Shepherd stop his bad habits to earn his heavenly rewards? Find out
The multiple award winning, 5 Star story of a baby penguin who searches the world to find the woman that saved his life. A wonderful novel with a Christmas feel. Loved by all 4 - 94. Novel or E-book
