MEET THE BRIGHT STARS
LILY
Trustee, Shooting Star, Protostar, Shining Star, Bright Star
I have known that I have MRKH since I was 11 years old, but I didn't know it was called MRKH until March of 2021. I researched and discovered that I have type 2 since I was diagnosed with VACTERL association from birth. Because I was so young, I never really processed everything until a little over a year ago. I am very private about MRKH in my personal life, but I'm using this opportunity of being on the writing team to be more open and start my advocacy journey. I love the immediate sisterhood that is formed between these MRKH warriors and I'm eager to be a part of it. My goal with joining this team is to make sure that new MRKH warriors know they're not alone in their battle because they have an army of sisters behind them to support and cheer them on every step of the way.
TK
Director
Co-Chair, Shooting Star, Shining Star
Hi I'm TK, I am the Director and a part of the Superstars team! I am a Shooting Star to help MRKH Warriors!
I was diagnosed with MRKH on the 8th of October 2019. When these four little letters changed my life it was the worst thing that ever happened to me. My perfect future had changed and I didn't know what I was going to do. Although it has been tough, there has been an amazing community of people to support and guide me through it. Some days are tough but that's okay. I've learnt to love my MRKH and accept that it is my new adventure.
CRYSTAL
Shooting Star, Rising Star, Shining Star, Bright Star
Hi! I’m Crystal, I’m on the Shooting Stars and Writing teams. I was officially diagnosed with MRKH in June 2021. My journey started in July 2021, the first couple of weeks were mentally and physically draining. I felt overwhelmed with emotions and so alone however I had this constant need to hide my emotions and pretend it was not real. I didn’t want to live this reality or have people constantly hovering over me asking me if I was okay when I was not, I was drowning inside. Eventually through this beautiful process of growth and acceptance, I am now able to embrace all these emotions and struggles. Every day is completely different for me, new emotions, new struggles, new challenges, it is not easy but it is so worth it! I have changed in so many unimaginable ways. I LOVE who I am now, I am PROUD of who I am now and I cannot wait to further this scary yet exhilarating journey of MRKH.
MADELINE
Trustee, Gold Star, Shining Star, Bright Star, Binary Star
Hi! I am Madeline and I am part of the writing team! l am a 20-year-old college student at The University of Texas at Austin. There I am majoring in biochemistry and am on the pre-med track. I really enjoy hanging out with my friends, exercising, and being outside! I was diagnosed with MRKH in 2017 and ever since I was diagnosed, I knew that I wanted to speak out about MRKH, but I just didn't know how or where. It took me a while to become more comfortable and begin to talk more openly about everything that my diagnosis entailed. Now, I feel like I am at a point where I have come to terms with all that living with MRKH means. I found MRKH Stars on Instagram and looked moreinto the organization. When I realized it was run by young women like myself, I knew that this was the organization for me. I knew that I would be connected to other women who were in similar seasons of their life as I am, and that would promote deeper empathy and understanding for one another.
MALLORY
Rising Star, Gold Star, Shooting Star, Shining Star, Bright Star
Hey! My name is Mallory! I go to school in Texas, United States and I am turning 21 in May. I was diagnosed around 15 or 16 years of age. It is a huge blur. I was horrified. I forced myself to believe that it was not real and that it was not actually happening. I told noone and would add comments to the constant girlie conversations about periods, sex, and future kids with my peers. I forced it further and further down until my freshman year of college when I was finally ready to tell my boyfriend that I had been dating for 1 year about my condition. I finally accepted that it was happening, but it did not define me. My condition was not my identity as I feared it would be. I told more and more people about it, and each time I told someone it made me truly accept it. The more people i told the more people i had around me to support and help me through it. I am not fully healed by the pain that comes along with MRKH but I have taken hold of what I have been given and I am ready to help the next girls that were in my shoes.