We recently announced the 2016 180 Medical College Scholarship recipients. This week, meet Maria Cerio, a 2016 scholarship recipient.
Maria’s Experience with Transverse Myelitis
Maria was only three when a rare neurological disease known as Transverse Myelitis began attacking her body and paralyzing her from the neck down. Doctors were unsure if she would recover. However, Maria was a “miracle case.” She defied the odds and is now able to stand and walk again.
Today, she stays active in various activities such as skiing, horseback riding, swimming, and golfing. Plus, she makes time for community service, orchestra, co-captaining her school’s Math Team, and more.
We were especially inspired by how much Maria has worked to overcome the physical challenges that are still present, due to the Transverse Myelitis symptoms that continue.
Recently, Maria has accepted the challenge of going to college, where she hopes she will make a difference.
About the 180 Medical Scholarship
As of this fall semester, Maria has begun her first semester of college at George Washington University. We hope her first year of college is a blast and that she continues to excel and change others’ lives.
180 Medical offers an annual scholarship program for college students with specific medical conditions, including transverse myelitis. To learn more about our annual College Scholarship, visit our Scholarship page.
