Overcoming Obstacles
A normal day turned into a life-changing experience

Carla Foster, a graduating senior at Montclair State University, shares with me an experience that has changed her life forever. When asked for one word that describes this experience she says, “impactful.” “Impactful because, It changed the way I take care of my health, changed the way I maneuver, and changed my aspect on life,” says Carla. A year ago, Carla faced an unfortunate trauma. She got up as a student at Montclair State would, thinking it would just be a regular day. After noticing a few pains in her body, she decided to ignore it thinking she could have just slept on her side wrong. After feeling the agonizing pain all day, and realizing that it became harder for her to breath, Carla asked a friend of hers, (Jamie) to take her to the hospital.
The news that she learned at the hospital was that her lung collapsed. “I was on loads of medication and there were so many tubes throughout my body,” Carla recalls. The heartbreaking story gives Carla anxiety and is still a hard subject for her to discuss to this day. The doctors didn't give her a clear exact reason, as they still only have speculation as to why her lung collapsed, however Carla still makes it her business to watch any unhealthy habits that could potentially put her in that situation again. I thank Carla for her bravery and vulnerability to discuss this topic with me.
