If the Children’s Rehabilitation Institute TeletonUSA (CRIT) were a theater on Broadway, it’s safe to say that Sammi would regularly bring down the house. This 11-year-old dynamo was born with a severe Osteogenesis Imperfecta Type III case. The condition creates tremendous challenges for her mobility, and she has broken hundreds of bones in her life, even from the most mundane activities, such as sneezing too hard. 

Sammi arrived at CRIT for therapy at an early age. She receives treatment twice a week to prevent her bones from breaking, and the pool at CRIT is an ideal place for her to receive therapy because the buoyancy of the water does not place significant stress on her body. 

Sammi’s family feels enormously supported at CRIT, as she meets her goals and nurtures her passion for acting. “Sammi looks forward to working with the therapists at CRIT and seeing the staff, volunteers, and her friends each week. The building makes her feel happy. Being happy to work hard keeps her strength up, helps her maintain her health and endurance, to be able to do all the things she loves, including acting and voiceover work,” said Priscilla, Sammi’s mom. 

Sammi’s journey at CRIT has paid off. With her commitment, determination, and smile, she has navigated the therapy sessions that have allowed her to have more self-confidence and be included in society. Today, Sammi’s ability to share her message scored her a notable role in the Netflix series “Raising Dion.” She wants to be a role model for Hollywood to prove that there should be more actors with disabilities in the entertainment industry. Sammi is now featured in a new Disney show. 

CRIT has been where Sammi and her family can strengthen themselves so that Sammi can continue achieving all her dreams. 

Watch Sammi’s story here.

“Life is not the way it’s supposed to be. It is the way it is. The way we cope with it is what makes the difference.”

Our upbringing, environment, and society create an image of what life should be. It is different for everyone. Growing up, we have dreams and ideas of what our future will look like or should be like. The reality can be very different.

When I was in high school, I decided to be a journalist. I wanted to write, travel the world, and share people’s stories. Little did I know that the choice would eventually lead to me being a counselor. There were decisions made along the way, circumstances, and events that molded me and changed my perspective and my goals.

Some events happen in our lives that are beyond our control. We have control over our thoughts, feelings, and actions. We can control how we respond to situations. How we choose to respond to situations is what makes a difference in the result. We can allow situations to bring us down and even destroy us emotionally and/or mentally, or we can utilize them to learn, grow and become more resilient.

It is important to have dreams, set goals, and plan for the future. It is equally essential to be flexible and able to adjust and adapt. If we can accept life as it comes, we may obtain far greater or more beneficial results than we originally imagined.