Hailey Sampsel: Hello! My name is Hailey, I am a chronic illness fighter! Before I became ill I was a competitive trampoline and tumbler. I went to practice four days a week and had competitions on the weekends. It was my life and I loved it more than anything until one day I fell on a tumbling pass and got a badly sprained ankle that required surgery. On October 17, 2014 I woke up from surgery complaining of a bad migraine. It’s been 8 months now and it still hasn’t gone away. Over the months I have been diagnosed with POTS (postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome), Chronic Daily Headache/Migraines, suspected Fibromyalgia, and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. There have been hospital stays and ER visits but doctors haven’t found anything that has helped with my pain. Unfortunately, POTS is an incurable syndrome with no magic pill, exercise, or diet. It is not a very well known syndrome but awareness is spreading more and more every day! Being in chronic pain really takes a tole on you. I am not going to lie, it is really hard, but this illness changed my entire view on life- for the best. I have learned that life doesn’t wait for anyone, that you are always so much stronger than you think, that just when you think you can’t take anymore amazing things happen, and that that the power of a single smile can make a bad day just that much better. There are days when I feel hopeless, but I know that doctors are going to find something that will work and I won’t be like this forever. I have hope that I will be able to do what I love again with the team that I love.

Please click on the link and check out my T-shirts!  T-shirts for Hailey! Help raise awareness for POTS!