Senior Natasha Nieuwenhuis has been overcoming struggles her entire life.

From sicknesses to family situations, she has managed to keep her head up and pull through.

When she was younger, she wanted to be a singer, then a painter.

She started writing as a way to pass the time while waiting for her mother to return, and it stuck.

“I feel comfortable when I am writing,” Nieuwenhuis said. “It is a great way to express my feelings and, hopefully, it takes me far.”

Nieuwenhuis was involved in Kearsley’s creative writing class first semester, which she enjoyed, and she sings in the choir. She is a member of Kearsley’s A Capella choir.

Nieuwenhuis has sung in Kearsley’s choirs since eighth grade.

During her sophomore year, she was a part of the women’s chorus and had a solo at the pre-festival concert in February 2015.

Nieuwenhuis sang Gladys Rich’s arrangement of “American Lullaby.”

Nieuwenhuis was also involved in athletics at Kearsley.

She was a member of the swim team her eighth grade and freshman years but had to quit because of illnesses.

Nieuwenhuis joined the track and field team her sophomore year as a thrower. She threw shot put and discus.

Although she enjoyed this, she once again had to quit because of illnesses.

Her more serious illnesses began in the eighth grade when she began experiencing a lot of stomach pains.

She went to the doctor’s office and they found an ulcer located in her stomach.

Then, her sophomore year, the doctors found a new ulcer, which perforated (burned through the wall of her stomach), and had to be cauterized.

A few months later her heart stopped and she was rushed to the hospital where she was diagnosed with hemolytic anemia.

Hemolytic anemia is a condition in which the red blood cells are destroyed and removed from the blood stream prematurely.

Normally, when blood cells die, bone marrow makes more blood cells to replace them, but with hemolytic anemia, the body cannot replace the dead cells fast enough.

Her anemia has caused many of her health problems such as fatigue, pain, irregular heartbeats, her heart failure, and her weakness and inability to perform extreme physical activity.

But Nieuwenhuis is determined not to let her illness define her.

“I’ve been sick several times before,” Nieuwenhuis said. “But I always bounce back.”

Since her body has shown her that she cannot handle athletics, she is active in the arts.

Aside from singing and writing, she also spends her free time drawing and coloring.

Nieuwenhuis also spends a lot of time with her friends.

She enjoys hanging out with her best friends and her significant other, Muj Dawan, as well as several of her other friends.

“I am fortunate to have such a strong support system throughout all of this,” Nieuwenhuis said.

Dawan, a Kearsley alumnus, appreciates having Nieuwenhuis in his life.

“She is one of the most loving and caring people that I know,” Dawan said. “She is always there for me when I need her.”

Nieuwenhuis lives at home with her father, Mr. Dirk Nieuwenhuis, and her younger brother and sister, Nadia and Aidan Nieuwenhuis.

Right now, Nieuwenhuis’ main goal is getting better.

Throughout everything, she has continued to be strong.

Although she has struggled and has needed a lot of help along the way, she continues to strive for greatness and is determined to get healthy again.