If we can accomplish big dreams, why wouldn’t we go after them? Just like Hannah Aspden of Raleigh, who was born without her left leg and lives with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS)—the young dreamer and NC swimmer is among the youngest who was vying for a spot on the U.S. Paralympic team.
POTS is a form of dysautonomia that affects the flow of blood through the body, thereby causing dizziness when standing.
Technically, someone has POTS if their heart rate increases by 30 beats per minute or their heart rate is greater than 120 beats per minute within 10 minutes of standing up. POTS is most commonly known for causing dizziness upon standing. In some cases, patients actually faint when trying to stand, earning it the nickname of “the fainting disease.”
However, dizziness and fainting are just a few of the many often debilitating symptoms POTS patients battle on a daily basis. Additional symptoms include:
- Headaches
- Nausea
- Abdominal pain
- Chronic Pain (General)
- Chest Pains
- Heart Palpitations
- Fatigue
- Shortness of Breath
- Insomnia
- Brain Fog
- Sweating Abnormalities
- Weakness
- Bladder Dysfunction
- Tremors
Even though Hannah has every reason to settle for small dream, why would she want to? POTS doesn’t inhibit her life or her dreams. Read her story here.
Head in the Clouds
Being a big dreamer doesn’t mean that we walk around with our head in the clouds. It means that we’re seeking a purpose for our life, and it means that we’re becoming fulfilled in the process. People that get into the habit of dreaming big will accomplish those goals because they have the right mindset.
We need to look at life with the perspective that we can achieve anything that’s possible.
We need to be like Hannah!
