D-Y-S-L-E-X-I-A: a learning disorder characterized by difficult reading. At least that's what safari says. I look at it differently, considering I’m someone who has suffered from dyslexia.
     The way I see it, the words are the same, but with a little extra color. They pop off of the pages like springs, the letters mix together like soup, and they're spaced super far apart.
      A lot of the kids at school make fun of me for my special talents. They are always looking at me weirdly as if I have some kind of contagious disease. What they don't understand is that I'm a normal kid, with normal hobbies, a normal family, normal foods on my table, normal clothes, and normal values. I just have some superpowers that they don't have. I consider myself very lucky to have these. I have more to work at, I strive to learn and soak in new information like a sponge. I'm one of the most determined people you will ever meet. I will overcome dyslexia one day and prove to the bullies, my doctors and nurses, my family and friends, that they are all wrong about me. So, I'm Isabelle and this is my story.
      I was 8 when I was diagnosed with dyslexia. I'm 11 years old now. I started having a lot of trouble with my reading and writing. The words always appeared to be backward and they would get really blurry sometimes. I told my parents and they took me to a doctor immediately. That's when I found out. The doctor said to me “Isabelle, don't ever be afraid. You are strong and you can overcome dyslexia. I know it.” Although his words were calming, I was afraid. What would this mean for my future? Would I still be able to get into a college? Would people treat me differently or not want to be friends with me? Those were all unanswered questions, clogging my brain like a sewage pipe. I wish I knew how to stop it but I couldn't.
      I got a tutor for school and a speech therapist who helped me with my delivery and pronunciation. She was the only one who truly understood my condition. She was my inspiration. Her name was Caroline. Caroline had dyslexia when she was 14 and overcame it by age 16. With hard work and perseverance, she was able to overcome any obstacles. She told me that it's difficult but you have to use it to your advantage. “Picture it as having a super power,” she said. “You use it to fly high over all the other superheroes, stop the villains from teasing the good guys, turn the world good again.” This was the key to my recovery. Belief.
     My family members were the most supportive during my diagnosis. They comforted me when I was sad. They laughed with me when I was happy. They let me cry to them when I was angry. My older brother Kyle said to me, “Izzy, you're a rockstar. You can pull through.” My parents both treated me like a princess who ran her own kingdom. I am ever so grateful to have such amazing people in my life.
      When I was 10, I hit a point in which I wanted to end this period of my life. I climbed the ladder of life all the way to the top. Even though I overcame dyslexia, I will always continue to build my ladder to success.