That said, I have a couple questions for whoever would be willing to read this over:
1. Does any of the phrasing come off as cliché/idealistic?
2. Is the proportion of how much I talk about Meg vs. myself too skewed? I tried to include only the info about her that's essential to make the story make sense, while at the same time keeping most of the focus on me.
3. What's your initial impression of me/my PS after reading it? Does it make you feel like I'd be a person you'd want to admit in your class (if you were an adcomm), somebody you'd want to stay away from, who could/couldn't succeed in law school? You can be brutally honest
Thanks in advance!
Spanning three stairs per stride as I crossed the threshold of the 50th floor, I could no longer get enough oxygen to keep up the pace. Wiping the stinging sweat from my eyes, I glanced up to see my team waiting for me on the 51st landing—we had agreed to stick together for the entire climb. Fatigue was setting in heavily, but I knew what was waiting at the top: a person who does not have the luxury of being able climb to the top floor of a skyscraper (or her own house, for that matter). As my lungs fought for oxygen, I was reminded of Meg’s daily struggle for air.
Diagnosed with bronchiectasis 25 years ago in her early 20s, my best friend’s mother, Meg, was given twelve months to live after her body began rejecting her donated lungs nine months ago. On bad days, despite being short of breath, feeling light-headed, and coughing up mucus, she did not let her ailments get in the way of her positive outlook on life, empowering herself by setting goals to work toward. Her next goal was to live to witness the birth of her first grandchild, my friend’s daughter. However, Meg’s doctors told her that without another transplant, she may not have that opportunity. Because the disease caused her to grow tired from even the lightest physical activity, I made myself available as much as possible to assist her with everyday tasks. Each day brought new challenges for Meg, and her inner strength quickly became apparent to me during my time spent helping her overcome them.
Inspired by Meg’s determination, I set forth a series of goals of my own. The first was to raise money for research on Meg’s disease. After helping to start a fundraiser in her name, I worked to promote awareness of the importance of organ donation across my college campus and helped raise over $8,000 from 130 donors. The money was donated in Meg’s honor to the Respiratory Health Association of Metropolitan Chicago (RHAMC), whose mission is to promote healthy lungs and fight lung disease through research and advocacy.
My next goal was to participate in Hustle up the Hancock, an annual event organized by RHAMC in which individuals and teams register to race to the top of the 1,127-foot John Hancock Center in support of lung disease research. I organized a team of 14 people in support of Meg’s fight, and for the next three months we trained for the most physically grueling challenge I have ever undertaken. Reaching the 94th floor and seeing the look on Meg’s face as we crossed the finish line imparted a great sense of accomplishment to me and my team. By knowing she was not alone in her fight against her disease, she told me, she became even more driven to not give up on her goals. When Meg successfully recovered from a second lung transplant in time to see the birth of her granddaughter in May, I knew that helping people through their struggles is something I want to continue doing.
My time spent caring for Meg broadened my perspective about what it means to appreciate the abilities you have been blessed with. This experience catalyzed my passion for fighting for people faced with hardship, and I feel that a career in the legal field would capitalize on my strengths and allow me to use those strengths to benefit others. Although I have always been interested in the legal profession, my relationship with Meg nurtured a desire to pursue a career in health care law. I hope to fight for people whose health care benefits were wrongly denied because of their medical conditions. My experience with fighting for Meg when she was in need of support has become my inspiration to work toward this objective, and my motivation throughout my practice as an attorney will be to help my clients work toward whatever “recovery” or “justice” means for them. Through the legal profession, I hope to fight for people who are unable to fight for themselves, and help them achieve goals of their own.
