From the moment she was born I knew she was different, she came much earlier than expected and scared me to death with her little surprise. Then, a few seconds later, after the doctor removed the umbilical cord from her little pink neck, I heard her cry softly. In that instant, I knew she would be mama's little fighter. Now here we are, 10 years later, and he still manages to amaze me every day. My daughter, Alexis, has changed my life tremendously and made me a better person by teaching me patience, showing me strength, and motivating me to better myself. Never in my existence have I met a more patient person than Alexis. She endures so much suffering due to her daily seizures, yet always manages to keep a loving smile on her small, gentle face. Even when seizures keep her stuck in the hospital for six days straight, driving her mad from incessant beeping machines, bland food, boring TV shows and the perpetual smell of bleach burning her nostrils, she remains calm and maintains his cheerful character. . She never lets the stress of her situation get her down. The more time I spend with my daughter, the more her patience seems to rub off on me. When Alexis was younger, I would get so angry at people's ignorant stares when she would innocently make her high-pitched squeals of excitement while in public. Nowadays, I just tell uninformed people that he's special and answer every question they ask me without getting angry in the slightest. Without Alexis in my life, I'm not sure I would be able to leave so easily. To be so patient, I must have acquired his inner strength as well. Being strong physically is great, but being strong emotionally is much harder. I used to......halfway through ......studying in the ACE program at Rio Salado College. If I stay on the right path and focus, one day I will reach my goal of graduating. From there I hope to find a career I love and earn enough money to give my daughter even greater opportunities than she is afforded now. Together I believe we can move mountains. Children have always made a difference in their parents' lives, but for me, Alexis has done more than just make a difference. He helped me see the beauty in even the ugliest situations and showed me how to fight for what I really want. It also taught me how to be more tolerant of others, showed me how to be emotionally strong, and influenced me to become a better version of myself. Above all he taught me to never give up. Who would have thought that a child born 10 years ago could have such a profound effect on my life?