3 minute read
Emmy Bucher Enjoys Dance
GET UP EIGHT
By: Gianna Simonelli Photography: Aimee O’Brien Photography (@aimeeobrienphotography)
At three-years-old, Emmy Bucher (@emmybucher) fell in love with the art of dance as both a sport, and an outlet to express her emotions. Her dance studio became a safe haven to communicate her happiness, sadness, successes or frustrations. Emmy’s dance career has been more rewarding and more challenging than others because she lives with complications related to Discoid Meniscus Disease. Between the ages of two and fifteen, Emmy has undergone seven surgeries that each required anywhere from three to twelve months of recovery. Discoid Meniscus Disease is a rare condition, and only one in every nine patients are female. The 17-year-old explained, “Think of your knees like an Oreo cookie. Your bones are the chocolate cookie and your meniscus is the vanilla filling. My “vanilla filling” is the problem. I was born without it attached. I’ve had many complications over the years, including tears and lots of degeneration. For that reason I’ve had plenty of surgeries where my surgeons had to get pretty creative on how to correct the issues.” Her creative surgeries also called for extensive periods of healing that caused Emmy to miss training time, competitions, and conventions. Even after reaching full recovery from her operations, there are several tricks or moves that she is unable to perform in order to avoid straining her knees. Her 7th operation took place on May 21st, 2019, and she is still in recovery now, in June of 2021.
Her passion, determination and perseverance are among her greatest assets.
Although Discoid Meniscus Disease affects her dance career and life in general, she leans into her incredible support system of family and friends, and her relationship with God to remain positive in the face of adversity. Emmy advises other children and teenagers in similar positions to, “Stay strong! Surround yourself with people that lift you up and support you. Stay away from negative and toxic people and situations. Reach out and speak up if you need anything at all.” She has gotten her strength from close-knit family and life-long friends, but her mom has especially been a beacon of light and positivity for Emmy since the very beginning. Emmy’s mom would stop at nothing to get her the help she deserves, and to find the best medical professionals available to care for Emmy’s knees. Emmy was treated at Shriner’s Hospital for Children, and the praises she sings are indicative of just how high-quality the medical facility is. The California-native shared, “My experience with Shriners was amazing. There is a certain feeling of peace you get when you walk in the doors. You just know that everything will be ok. It’s a beautiful thing. Everyone works as a team to get you the best medical care possible. No matter if you’re in radiology, physical therapy, or seeing one of the doctors or surgeons, everyone knows you and knows your situation. It’s incredible. You can truly tell every single person working there cares about you and wants the best for you. Amazing things happen there. I’m living proof of that.”
In response to her life-changing experience at Shriner’s, Emmy is in the process of establishing a non-profit organization to benefit the network of Hospitals for Children.
Despite the many roadblocks she has faced in the past, Emmy has many aspirations for the future. She has plans to obtain a Business Degree in college and explore many options for her career trajectory, whether it be in law enforcement, retail, non-profit organizations, or beyond. Shriner’s Hospital for Children has given Emmy the gift of a pain-free life with no limits, and she lives that life to the fullest, all while inspiring those around her in the process!
The Chatty Chick by Celai West
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