SAMMAMISH, Wash. -- Tracey Miller became the principal at Christa McAuliffe Elementary School in Sammamish four years ago. Soon after taking the position, she noticed something was wrong. She describes feeling extremely fatigued, experiencing tingling sensations in her limbs, and at times, she would start shaking.
"Even just walking was so difficult," she recalls. "So I knew, both intellectually and physically, that there was something going on."
Miller was right. Doctors diagnosed her with Multiple Sclerosis. It was a devastating blow for the active, energetic woman who once ran half-marathons for fun.
"Probably a combination of sadness, denial, frustration," she says. "Just a lot of questions, like, 'OK, now what?'"
The answer was to fight MS as aggressively as possible, and to use her experience as an opportunity to enrich the lives of the children at her school.
"I think it's important that kids understand that even if there's an obstacle in their life, that they could overcome it," she explains. "Or they could at least try to take steps to empower themselves."
This week, Miller has been visiting all of the classrooms in her school to read stories to the children about MS. She follows the stories with a question and answer session, and then a mini MS walkathon around the playground.
"You know, a lot of kids who may be faced with Autism or Asbergers or ADHD, or anything, they'll say 'oh yeah. I have something. Or, my mom or my dad' do," she says. "And I think it brings that awareness that they're not alone in something that is impacting their lives."
The children says they're learning a lot about people with MS.
Says one girl in kindergarten, "They can't walk as fast as some other people can."
"You can't get it from other people," adds another.
They also learn compassion.
"If she falls we can pick her up," said Peter, a boy at the school.
Indeed, these children do help pick up Principal Miller more than they realize. She says on days when the MS is getting the best of her, the students lift her spirits.
"The hugs and the support," she says with a smile. "Not only from the kids but from all the family members and our staff. It's a great place."
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