![It was definitely out of my comfort zone to get [the dress] and decide I loved it enough not to wait and risk not having something that memorable.](https://bestofsno.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Precious_20180902_JRS_00008_ed1.jpg)
![Sophomore Sahasra Mandalapu practices bharatanatyam choreography in class. These new dances will be performed in an annual show in February. Mandalapu found that practicing in class helped her overcome stage fright during her performances. “When [I] get on stage, Im nervous Im going to forget, even though Ive done it for so long,” Mandalapu said. “Theres still that little bit of stage fright [when] I second-guess myself that I dont know it enough, but I do because Ive been practicing for a whole year.”](https://bestofsno.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Sahasra-6-Large-1200x844.jpeg)
![In their full runway outfits, (from left) Audrey Lee 25, Olivia Lucy Teets, 25, Fashion Design teacher Ms. Judy Chance, and Xueying Lili Yang pose for a photo. All three girls made it to Austin Fashion Week by getting in the top 10 in a previous runway show held by Shop LC.
[I like my students] creativity and how they can look at a fabric and make it their own, Ms. Chance said.](https://bestofsno.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/IMG_9686-e1714088765730-1129x1200.jpeg)
![IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Junior Zalie Mann performs “I Love to Cry at Weddings,” an ensemble piece from the fall musical Sweet Charity, to prospective students during the Fine Arts Showcase on Wednesday, Nov. 8. The showcase is a compilation of performances and demonstrations from each fine arts strand offered at McCallum. This show is put on so that prospective students can see if they are interested in joining an academy or major.
Sweet Charity originally ran the weekends of Sept. 28 and Oct. 8, but made a comeback for the Fine Arts Showcase.
“[Being at the front in the spotlight] is my favorite part of the whole dance, so I was super happy to be on stage performing and smiling at the audience,” Mann said.
Mann performed in both the musical theatre performance and dance excerpt “Ethereal,” a contemporary piece choreographed by the new dance director Terrance Carson, in the showcase. With also being a dance ambassador, Mann got to talk about what MAC dance is, her experience and answer any questions the aspiring arts majors and their parents may have.
Caption by Maya Tackett.](https://bestofsno.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/53321803427_47cd17fe70_o-1-1200x800.jpg)
![SPREADING THE JOY: Sophomore Chim Becker poses with sophomores Cozbi Sims and Lou Davidson while manning a table at the Hispanic Heritage treat day during lunch of Sept 28. Becker is a part of the students of color alliance, who put together the activity to raise money for their club.
“It [the stand] was really fun because McCallum has a lot of latino kids,” Becker said. “And I think it was nice that I could share the stuff that I usually just have at home with people who have never tried it before.”
Becker recognizes the importance of celebrating Hispanic heritage at Mac.
“I think its important to celebrate,” Becker said. “Because our culture is awesome and super cool, and everybody should be able to learn about other cultures of the world.”
Caption by JoJo Barnard.](https://bestofsno.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/53221601352_4127a81c41_o-1200x675.jpg)
On the night she was born, April 21, 2006, freshman Morrigan Dodd was transported to Children’s Hospital after doctors determined that Dodd was born without a connection between her heart and lungs. Soon after, she was diagnosed with Tetralogy of Fallot, a rare condition caused by a combination of four heart defects present at birth. Children born with Tetralogy of Fallot need corrective surgery in order to fix the deformities in the heart.
“I’ve never known a life without surgeries,” Dodd said. “They’ve just been in my normal life since the beginning. I’m resigned about that since there’s nothing I can do to prevent [having surgeries] There’s no use getting angry about it.”
Dee Dodd, Morrigan’s grandmother, who has been present for all of her surgeries, was one of the first people to be informed of her condition.
“[When we learned of Morrigan’s condition,] I was scared to death and her mother was scared to death,” Dee said. “I mean really scared.”
I’ve never known a life without surgeries. I’m resigned about that since there’s nothing I can do to prevent [having surgeries] There’s no use getting angry about it.
— Morrigan Dodd
Morrigan had her first surgery when she was just two days old. To allow blood to flow to her lungs, she had a Blalock-Taussig shunt (BT shunt) inserted. A BT shunt is a small tube put into the heart in order to increase blood flow to the lungs usually used in small children as a temporary fix until the child is prepared for a more permanent solution.
“It was very nerve-wracking waiting [during the surgery],” Dee said. “We were just sitting there praying, hoping.”
Fourteen months after the BT shunt, when she was one, Morrigan had her second open heart surgery where her BT shunt was replaced with a cadaver’s heart. Every year since second grade Morrigan has had a cardiac catheterization to monitor the condition of her heart. Her latest surgery was last year, for another catheterization.
“After a while, it gets annoying that I have to go to the hospital every six months to even check if I need another surgery soon,” Morrigan said. “It’s [really] annoying at any time, but you have to deal with it [to stay healthy.] I did feel isolated [because] I was out of school all the time, and my condition stopped me from doing a lot of things that [other] kids [enjoyed], like tag [and sports.]”
Because of her condition, Morrigan can not play competitive sports. As a child, she was not even allowed to run, in fear of overexerting and damaging her heart. Even now, she is unable to run for long distances because of her lack of endurance.
“I can’t just keep running, I have to [slow down and walk]. I couldn’t play as hard as other people,” Morrigan said. “I felt left out sometimes because I can’t do everything that everybody else can.”
During one of her surgeries, Morrigan’s vocal cords were damaged, which altered the way her voice sounds.
No matter how bad things could get, I still have my family with me and that drives me to keep fighting.
— Morrigan Dodd
“[When I woke up] my voice sounded significantly different and it sounded gravelly. The doctors said that [my voice] would recover, but it never did. When I lost my voice, I thought I lost a part of myself. Now, I’m OK with it,” Morrigan said.
To distract from her condition, Morrigan found comfort in art. Recently, she has also been working on videos for her YouTube channel.
“The only place that [my condition] really affects me is running, or sports. I can still do things with my hand and draw,” Morrigan said. “That makes me happy, [since] drawing is one of the ways I release my creativity.”
Morrigan has considered making a video about her experience with Tetralogy of Fallot as a way to reach out to kids with conditions like hers.
“I know I’m not the only case. I could reach out to people and [tell them that] there are people who care about you. Even if it’s hard, you’re not alone,” she said.
Morrigan has always been supported by her family, who are her drive to keep her heart healthy.
“No matter how bad things could get, I still have my family with me and that drives me to keep fighting,” Morrigan said.
Regardless of the obstacles she has faced, Morrigan also makes sure to keep a positive mindset regarding her condition.
“Even with [Tetralogy of Fallot] I can still do some things. I can still be happy,” she said. “You just have to believe in yourself. If [your issue] affects one part [of your life], then do something else; something you can find happiness [in].”
This story was originally published on Pathfinder on March 1, 2021.
