The new Miss Michigan, Elizabeth Wertenberger, said she hopes her struggles with a chronic illness, and how she overcame them to represent her state in the Miss America pageant, will be an inspiration to struggling children.
At age 13, Wertenberger was diagnosed with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, an autoimmune disorder where the body attacks the joints and sometimes other organs. She said for a time she was taking 13 pills a day to get her condition under control, and she later had to undergo chemotherapy, which damaged her kidneys.
âThe doctor said âElizabeth, I donât mean to scare you, but thereâs no way you should be walking right now,ââ Wertenberger said. âThey told me Iâd never be in remission. Iâm in complete remission.â
Now, she said she hopes to use the Miss America organizationâs partnership with Childrenâs Miracle Network to give other ill children hope.
âWhen the doctors didnât have hope for me, I still had hope,â she said.
Wertenberger credits her passion for dance for helping to save her mobility. It was a passion she decided to share with the elderly when she started volunteering as a teenager.
âI had this rare connection with the elderly that I didnât have with my peers,â she said.
That led to her platformâs focus on youth volunteering with the elderly.
âWe have a lot to learn from one another,â she said. âI think we need to take advantage of (lessons from the elderly) while we have them here.â
She also plans to speak out about cyberbullying because of her experience in recent years. A sports gossip website posted rumors about her love life after she started dating University of Michigan quarterback Tate Forcier.
âI think itâs important that we speak out against it and we use the Internet for positive things,â she said. âI think so many people deal with that on a day-to-day basis. Itâs sad. Itâs absolutely sad.â
She competed as Miss Southwest this year and as Miss Monroe County in 2008, when she finished as second runner-up. She then took a year off to focus on school and work, but realized how much the Miss Michigan title meant to her.
âI was able to realize how important this organization was to my life. I realized this chronic illness didnât just happen to me, that it wasnât just a fluke,â she said. âI had a message to share.â
She recently graduated from Kendall College of Art and Design with a degree in interior design and a concentration in graphics. Her goal is to someday own a design company that integrates graphics and interior designs to help companies strengthen their brands.
Wertenberger said part of her personal brand is that she doesnât fit the pageant âmold.â
âThey donât define who I am,â she said. âIâm not trying to fit in. Iâd rather be myself and stand out.â
Email: mhart@muskegonchronicle.com
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