Tyler Brian Pigott
Contrary to popular belief, living with Tourette’s has not stopped me from living my life. If anything, it has pushed me to go farther and to do more. To give one specific memorable event in my life that was affected by Tourette’s Syndrome would be impossible. Everything I’ve ever done in my life has been affected by Tourette’s because it’s a part of who I am, but it doesn’t define me. It makes me a better person.
I was diagnosed with Tourette ’s syndrome when I was eleven years old. That was a little scary because as an eleven year old I felt different. I felt like if people knew I had Tourette’s they wouldn’t want to be my friend. I kept this secret from my classmates. That was until I got a little older and realized that my disease wasn’t anything to be ashamed of. It wasn’t an embarrassing thing. It didn’t make me different in a sense of not fitting in. It made me different in a way that I knew I had this obstacle to overcome and I had every intension of overcoming it.
Baseball was always a huge part of my life and I feared the day that Tourette’s would take that from me. But it never did. I personally feel that it made me a better athlete. It taught me determination and persistence. In baseball having a talent can only take you so far but having the drive to work hard is what makes you an athlete that accomplishes goals.
As far as family experiences are concerned, my family never paid much attention to my Tourette’s. They love me for who I am and told me that Tourette’s didn’t have to change how I felt about myself. They encouraged me and boosted my confidence when I felt discouraged. They gave me motivation to pursue my dreams.
Living with Tourette’s Syndrome was not a curse, it was a blessing. It has given me a sense of pride for what I’ve overcome. There are still things in my life I am going to have to do that my Tourette’s will affect but how it affects them is up to me. I can either give up and let Tourette’s run my life or I can push forward and be determined to create my own path. A path to be remembered.