Nevaeh

Nevaeh, 15, is a tenth-grader in Wilmington, North Carolina who loves to sing and dance. She's pictured here at the 2019 Special Olympics North Carolina fall games, where she played volleyball, sprinted, and practiced her throwing skills, among other activities. For many athletes at Special Olympics games, holding a ribbon of any color is a day-maker— Nevaeh's big smile makes this clear!

When at home, Nevaeh loves to draw, color, and enjoy her quiet time in her room. She'll usually play soundtracks on Youtube of her favorite movies and tv shows, such as the Twilight movies, Disney movies, and The Flash series. Her mother Melinda says that when she "gets really into it, we can hear her singing sometimes." When asked what she wants to be when she grows up, Nevaeh said, "I dont want to grow up."

Melinda, also a mother to three boys, says, "She has really changed my life for the better. She is the only girl that I have." She describes the early days with Nevaeh: "I was 21 years old when I gave birth to her. She was 3 months early, weighing 3 lbs, 4 oz. I was hospitalized for 45 days and then I was discharged. I came back to the hospital 4 days later and gave birth to her. She was in NICU for 30 days. She was born August 13th, 2005. She had a major surgery on her smaller intestines (Duodenal Atresia) and we almost lost her due to her being given too much morphine. She pulled through, and came home September 26th, 2005. She has been doing great ever since."

Nevaeh now attends the same high school Melinda attended. What an amazing young lady!