Keep Dancing Megan

Megan Touchstone, once a dancer, was diagnosed with inflammatory bowel disease at the age of 12. Despite Megan’s condition, she still continued to dance. How could she leave an activity she had so much passion for? Unfortunately, about a year later Megan was further diagnosed with a plethora of illnesses including Small Fiber Polyneuropathy, Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, Arthritis, and Dysautonomia.

Small Fiber Polyneuropathy is a disorder that affects only the small sensory cutaneous nerves. Ehlers Danlos Syndrome is a connective tissue disorder that causes the joints to be overly flexible and can cause dislocation. It also causes the skin to have more elasticity, to become more translucent, and to be very fragile which leads to the skin being easily bruised. Dysautonomia is used to describe several different medical conditions that cause dysfunction of the Autonomic Nervous System. Some of the symptoms include chronic fatigue, fainting, breathing problems and cardiovascular issues.

With Megan experiencing these symptoms from various conditions, she was bound to a wheelchair for a year, no longer able to dance. But this didn’t stop her from still being connected to her passion. Megan continues to graciously smile, keeps her head held high and dances through life while pursuing a new talent. She now creates drawings and brings them to life through computer animation. Megan also remains a straight A student although her illnesses have caused her to have many absences.

Megan is such an inspiration to everyone around her. She remains positive, keeps a smile and dances through her days. This is why mom, Shelby and their family felt it was her duty to make sure Megan had a memorable Sweet 16. The family could not be more grateful when Sugar Angel Lejla Allison created a beautiful two tiered hot pink and black dream cake. Complete with zebra stripes, feathers and a tiara perfect for a 16-year-old dancer! When Megan received her cake she was amazed. She could not stop smiling! Her smile was a gift that her family has been longing for and this made the entire family’s day!