Melanie Benn
Melanie’s Story
On Christmas Eve when she was 18 years-old, Melanie began to experience flu-like symptoms. When her condition worsened, she was rushed to the emergency room where she was diagnosed with meningococcemia. After a one-year battle with the disease, amputations of her arms and legs, and a kidney transplant, Melanie survived and went on to achieve great things, including earning a Master’s degree in social work from UCLA and winning medals for swimming at the 2000 and 2004 U.S. Paralympics.
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