Lisle Girl Scout Brings A Whole Lot Of Heart To Gold Award Project
LISLE, IL — Before she graduated from high school this past spring, Kameryn Rasberry had already undergone two major heart surgeries and a heart transplant. She’d survived Post-Transplant Lymphoproliferative Disorder twice and undergone chemotherapy.
These experiences could have kept her down, but instead, they inspired Kameryn to build a website to foster mental and physical well-being for teens, part of her Gold Award Project for Girl Scouts.
Kameryn, who is a member of the DuPage AME troop, told Patch that being born with a congenital heart defect meant that her physical health became the center of her and her family’s world.
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“It was rough on my family,” she said, adding that her parents were “always making sure that my health was ok.”
A valve replacement surgery at age seven barely slowed Kameryn down.
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She said, “I was doing everything a seven-year-old would do. Just running and skipping…my doctors were amazed.”
It was a slower recovery when Kameryn had a heart transplant at age 12. While she was in the hospital, weekly yoga practice helped her recover both physically and mentally, she said.
Once she was home, these healthier habits became a part of her daily life.
“I started doing yoga and just being active, eating right…staying active to distract myself.”
Kameryn told Patch she could notice a difference in her well-being pretty immediately.
“When you’re eating poorly and not staying hydrated you can feel it,” she said.
“Once I started eating fruit and vegetables and taking care of my body, I started to feel better.”
This is what Kameryn hopes her website will help other teens and young adults realize.
The site is filled with videos and graphics that offer exercises and encouragement for mental wellness, physical activity, nutrition and more.
“I’m hoping that people will be able to use this as a resource t0 go back to in moments of distress, or when they need an extra boost,” she said.
Next up, Kameryn will attend Loyola University to study public health and pre-medicine. She’s looking ahead to become a doctor focusing on pediatric cardiology.
She told Patch, “I love working with kids and I think it will be amazing to be able to tell my patients, ‘I’ve been through what you’ve been through.'”
Click the link to view Kameryn’s Gold Award Project website.
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