A group of students launched a new organization aimed at providing support for students with Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS) and other chronic conditions.
PAWS for POTS is a student organization that tasks itself with creating a community, offering information about the Office of Disability Services (ODS) and actions that can help relieve symptoms of POTS and other related illnesses.
Ravyn Benfield, criminal justice senior and PAWS for POTS president, was diagnosed with POTS after years of misdiagnoses for anxiety. When she received her diagnosis, support from Alanna Rivas, theater education junior and PAWS for POTS vice president, made her realize she was not alone and prompted them to start the organization so other students could feel that same relief for others who may have a chronic illness.
“You can feel so alone and just alienated and it can feel like you can’t connect with other people because you experience struggles that they might not be able to understand,” Benfield said. “Being able to have that community is just amazing because you can talk to each other.”
The organization is open to accepting members with POTS or other related conditions and to those willing to learn about the chronic condition and its effects on students. Jack Werran, graduate student and treasurer of PAWS for POTS, doesn’t have the condition himself but has gained insight from working with those who do.
“As someone who’s lived the ‘normal college life,’ I can say that it’s not fair these people can’t live that life,” Werran said. “It’s not their choice to have this condition. It’s not on them.”
Werran said in the beginning stages of forming this organization, he noticed there wasn’t as much research on POTS on college campuses as he expected, including Texas State. He hopes that this organization and its purpose will inspire others to take on similar projects.
“POTS is a real thing that should be talked about on college campuses,” Werran said. “We kind of wanted to be that bigger influence on the POTS community and start that kind of train on the research.”
Rivas understands students who may feel nervous about embracing a part of themselves they may not be sure of. When she first arrived on campus, she tried to ignore her symptoms and live college life ‘normally.’ However, she now also understands the importance of embracing what makes people special.
“It lets others know they aren’t alone when they see others advocating for themselves,” Rivas said. “Even if I’m a little different, there are people just like me, and we’re gonna find our own way.”
Benfield has high hopes for the future of PAWS for POTS, which includes creating a safe community for students who may not feel accepted anywhere else. She believes the organization’s goal of accepting others is reminiscent of Texas State as a whole and hopes the two will continue to work together in the future for students with POTS.
“We’re a family and being able to accept others who are going through more difficult times is kind of what Texas State is all about,” Benfield said. “That can be super valuable when you feel like networking and making connections is a little bit harder due to your health.”
To learn more about PAWS for POTS, visit its Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/paws_for_pots?igsh=MTU1YnhkaGQzemU5OA==.
