Sandy Haga:
CLASS OF 1981
County Central High SchoolClass of 1981
Vulcan, AB
Sandy's Story
Time to update my story...
Where to begin....Well In June I celebrate my 23rd wedding anniversary to Dwayne Haga. I have been blessed with 3 great Kids...Jamie will will be 20 in May. Jamie is 6'5", an awesome golfer and a black belt in karate. Nolan is 17, 6'1" and also a black belt. He and Dwayne run their own karate club here in Medicine Hat. My beautiful daughter Shelby, is 15. She is a long legged blonde who is an awesome and gifted writer and she currently has one of the lead roles in her High School Musical.
My life changed dramatically 6 years ago when I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. I am now pretty much confined to my wheelchair - buy hey..it goes fast and has a cool horn! The arm on the left side has lots of gouges out of it...hmmm I never was much good at backing up!
In 2006 I had the worst-ever recorded reaction to my injectible MS therapy drug. I never minded being a trend-setter but I think I took it a little far this time lol.
I struggle day-to-day with things everyone else takes for granted being able to do....but I have found that the key to overcoming life's difficulties are found in one of my favorite sayings..."When your life seems out of control, there is 1 thing you ALWAYS have control over...and that is YOUR ATTITUDE." After all, you need not look far to find someone worse off than you.
My daughter recently wrote an essay for her grade 9 English class which I would like to share with you. She received 100% on this, and it is soon to be published in the Alberta MS magazine.
My Hero
by Shelby Haga
I have had a lot of people in my life whom have taught me valuable lessons. I have met many
people whose words have stuck in my mind, and replayed themselves again and again. However, there
is one person who has been there every time I needed to talk, or cry. Yes, you guessed it, my mom.
Now, I could write about all the lessons she taught me. Or I could talk about how I learned the hard
waywhen I didn't listen to her. Instead, I'm going to tell you how these lessons were taught. Roughly
seven years ago, my mother was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, MS for short. You are probably
wondering how this relates? Well, I was eight years old when this happened, so I basically became an
adult at that age. Slowly but surely, my mother became worse, and couldn't do trivial things. Cooking
supper became a challenge. Although many emotions were involved during this process, one of the
hardest things I had to learn was the fact that she couldn't do normal things anymore. Eventually, going
to Echo Dale had become a lost memory. Racing to the car was but a fantasy. Because this happened so
young, it felt like I grew up being the parent. I learned that we all had to work together , so I had to pick
up extr...Expand for more
a chores It was through this process that I learned the most valuable lessons. I learned that even
though ife throws you a curve, you eventually come around the bend, to see the road ahead of you. My
mom taught me that when life gives you lemons, make lemonade. Because she couldn't do things
normally anymore, we found other things to do, and we still got that bonding time.
As I watched her slowly fade away from herself, I realized something. I had become a much
stronger person. I respected the little trivial things, like eating dinner together. Quality time had
become an objective. Although it had been a hard journey, and a long time, not to mention I look up to
my mom. She lost everything she had known, yet she still took the time to smile and laugh. Being the
humerous person she is, she, of course, still told the stupid little jokes that made you laugh. I sometimes
found myself adopting step in moms. Older friends had become a substitute parent. They could do the
things my mom couldn't so, why not? After years of doing this it hit me. I had a perfectly good mom of
my own. Sure she couldn't do normal things, but I had to keep in mind how she felt. Now, every time I
don't feel like being active in gym, or outside of school, I think about how my mom can't. A lot of the
time, she is my motivation for doing the best I can do. As time continued on, I realized my mom was
much more than an influence, she had become my hero. Sometimes I questioned whether she was still
there, the real her. The mom I had once known as active and easy going. Although these qualities were
lost physically. I knew they were there. I could see them when she came to watch my soccer games. I
could see them when she smiled at me with pride. And most definately there when I needed a
shoulder to cry on. Now, her laugh has become more than just that. It has become a reminder of the
struggles we have encountered. My hero reminds me every day that with love and support, you can
overcome any struggle. Although I cannot easily remember how she was before, I have become
attached to the way she is now. She shows me that even when there is none, you can always hope. She
proved that strength comes from the perseverence to push through. There were times when I felt life
wasn't fair. Why my mom? Why not somebody else? But, likeI said, without this misfortune, I would not
have the treasures I have now. Sure, memories at the beach will be fun at the time, but they eventually
fade. However, I will always remember the lessons she taught me, for they are unforgettable. So, after
seven years, I realized the most important thing. My mom, brown hair, sparkling green eyes, humerous,
sensitive and caring is, without a doubt, my Super Hero.
That, my friends, is what keeps me going!
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