LOOKING at bubbly, bright Jess Marshall you wouldn’t think she had a incurable, life threatening illness.
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But you’d also never guess the 23-year-old had learned to walk again, was studying at university and had established mentor programs for chronically ill adolescents.
Eloquent and confident, Ms Marshall is the face of a generation of determined young people and a finalist in the Young Australian of the Year awards.
At just 13 Ms Marshall woke up screaming, unable to walk. She was diagnosed with Marfanoid Syndrome –a genetic condition that affects her heart, digestive and musculoskeletal systems.
She was faced with chronic, pain, fatigue and frequent joint dislocations. But that did not stop her.
“It was really terrible and I was crying and said I was not going to school ever again, and dad said to me ‘you can either lay here and cry, or go back to school and get a better ATAR than anyone else’. And I did,” Ms Marshall said.
As a young teenager Ms Marshall spent months on end in hospital. This left her anxious and socially isolated.
With one in 10 young people experiencing a chronic illness, Ms Marshall didn’t want anyone else to experience the bullying and isolation she had.
“(As a teenager) it’s incredibly difficult,” Ms Marshall said.
“You’re finding out who you are at the same time as fighting for you life and your dignity.”
The Bachelor of Psychological Science student has founded Slow Cure? No Problem – a program for local secondary students.
Here she acts as a mentor to young women living with chronic psychological and mental illnesses. At these sessions their illness is not the focus, being a teenager is.
“The focus is, yes this is difficult. You might not get better, but life can get better,” Ms Marshall said.
Ms Marshall hopes to start her masters of psychology in the future and become a psychologist specialising in working with young people with illness.
“I have a life threatening illness – it impacts my heart, my fertility and I’m aware of that,” Ms Marshall said.“It’s not the life I planned but I am going to make it count,” she said.
Ms Marshall said she was humbled to be nominated for Young Australian of the Year and hoped it could raise awareness of the plight many ill, young people were going through. The awards will be presented on October 28.