A Bright New Partnership
March 24, 2025
One Child at a Time, We Spread Smiles & Hope
December 19, 2025
We are proud and excited to announce our 2025 Purple Playas Foundation’s Anne Nymark Young Adult Grantees. These nine young adults are each recieveiving $1,000 to further their educational goals. We thank each of them for sharing their stories. As they pursue their dreams, we can’t wait to see what their futures hold. Join us in congratulating each of them.
Alexis has Systemic Onset Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (sJIA) and Macrophage Activation Syndrome (MAS) and will attend Withlacoochee Technical College to become a welder.
My personal dreams are perhaps a bit benign. I want to have a job that lets me travel to places I would never see and meet people I would never meet if I stayed home. I want to be able to see my family regularly and have a home where I could host my friends for game nights. One day I would like to own a business that supports people like me and gives them a place to congregate and perhaps host events like fundraisers. I think often of my chronic illness and how expensive treatments that actually work are; how incapable I am to donate any money towards funding research at this time. Unfortunately, most of my dreams and aspirations need money for me to live comfortably enough to be able to give as much as possible back to my community. Luckily, the trade I’m pursuing is often known to be lucrative. So, I suppose I am working towards my goals, albeit slower then I wish I could. The strength I need specifically to achieve my goals is determination to continue pursuing them, to keep hope for my ideal future.
I have been a part of a long-term medical trial and a drug study. When I eventually get a job in this trade and have financial stability, my goal is to donate to research for JIA and MAS. I want to give back to my community. Even if it takes the form of participating in more studies where they take my blood. If it helps children with my illness, they can take as much blood as they want.
Ashley has Systemic Onset Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (sJIA)and will be attending Paul Mitchell School for cosmetology.
My dream is to become a hairstylist for both men and women. I’ve always had a passion for hair and helping people look their best. I believe that by attending cosmetology school and getting my certificate, I can turn that passion into a successful career. My creativity and dedication to learning new techniques will definitely help me achieve my goals!
The most significant challenge I’ve faced is dealing with my condition was when I first learned about it, I thought my dream of becoming a hairstylist was out of reach, because the job requires a lot of standing and using my hands. It can be tiring, but I know that with the right opportunity to learn and grow, I can overcome these obstacles and become a professional in this field.
I’ve faced so many challenges that have kept me from accomplishing my dreams. It always feels like something goes wrong, and I end up not achieving what I want. This grant means the world to me! I have the chance to pursue my dream career, and I am incredibly grateful and motivated to make the most of it!
Courtney has Juvenile Ankylosing Spondylitis, Lymphadenopathy, Myasthenia Gravis, Hypermobility Syndrome, Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS), Heart Atrial Septal Defect, Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, with overlapping medical issues. She will be attending Xavier College to pursue becoming a lawyer.
I will be majoring in Political Science and Philosophy, with a minor in Pre-Law. These areas of study are crucial for my future aspirations to attend law school and ultimately become a medical malpractice attorney, where I will fight for people’s medical rights.
Over the past three years, I have been deeply involved in various school and community activities. As a varsity cheerleader, I contributed to team success and received recognition for leadership. I have also been an active member of KYLA, a local community volunteer program, assisting with youth engagement and community events. As a certified lifeguard, I gained valuable skills in CPR and First Aid while ensuring the safety of swimmers. Additionally, I will be graduating from high school early, completing my coursework ahead of schedule and graduating with honors in 2025. I am currently gaining hands-on legal experience as an intern at a law office, where I assist with research and case preparation. Lastly, I proudly serve as Indiana’s MDA Ambassador, raising awareness and funds for individuals with muscular dystrophy. Each of these roles has shaped my skills in leadership, teamwork, and community involvement.
In the future, I hope to establish a nonprofit that provides resources, advocacy, and emotional support for young patients and their families. My strengths will help me achieve these goals: resilience in overcoming medical challenges, empathy that allows me to deeply connect with those in need, leadership through founding my high school’s internship program and advocating for legislative change, a passion for justice that fuels my ambition, and a strong work ethic developed from balancing school, a law internship, cheerleading, and lifeguarding. Through my career, personal journey, and humanitarian work, I am committed to making a lasting impact.
Seven years ago, I was told I had only two years left to live—a moment that changed everything. At just ten years old, I was forced to confront the unimaginable, but I refused to let that prognosis define me. Instead of succumbing to fear, I made a choice: to live every day to the fullest. I’ve lived by the belief, “Don’t put a period where God put a comma,” reminding myself that my journey is not over and that I can do anything. I push forward with resilience, balancing academics, leadership, and service while making the most of every moment. This grant wouldn’t just support my education; it would empower
Ifeoluwa has Systemic Lupus Erythema and will be attending University of West Florida to pursue becoming a medical malpractice lawyer.
When you have a chronic illness like lupus, people often see you as incapable or less than because of it. For so long, I fought tooth and nail to prove to everyone around me that having lupus did not put a pause on my life. It became difficult when I started struggling to manage all the things I was putting on myself mentally and physically. Admitting that I couldn’t handle everything was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do, especially letting it be known that I wasn’t invincible and had limitations. In the end, it took my parents’ guidance and support to finally accept that asking for help does not make me weak, it makes me stronger.
In the future, one of my career goals is to become a medical malpractice lawyer. My sister was diagnosed with lupus late in life, and she did not have physicians willing to attack this disease with the aggression needed. She later had to deal with severe kidney failure as a result of not having a doctor to do everything possible. My sister is just one example of how negligence within healthcare has affected my family. I hope to use my passion for advocacy as well as my family’s experiences to do what I can to compensate those going through the same predicament.
Personally, one of my biggest dreams is to travel and explore Asia. I’m fascinated by the cultures, traditions, food, and history of countries like Japan, China, Thailand, and India. I believe that experiencing how life is outside of the United States will help me gain a better understanding of the world and what we can improve. A specific skill that will support this goal is my ability to adapt.
On a humanitarian level, I would love to go on a mission trip with my church. Giving back to others, especially in countries with fewer resources, is something I have always wanted to contribute to. There is so much to gain from a once in a lifetime experience like that, and I hope to use my resilience and compassion to truly respond to the needs of those I come in contact with.
I believe that my self-awareness and optimism are what make me unique. Even when I was younger, I looked at every obstacle as something I would conquer and found the bright side of things. I also try to remain self-aware at all times; I try to gain everything I can from the experience of my peers and family, as well as my faults and mistakes.
Luis has Systemic Onset Juvenile Arthritis/Still’s Disease and will be attending Amarillo College to pursue nursing.
I was hospitalized for 25 days missing the first 6 weeks of my senior year. While being hospitalized I encountered some amazing nurses at our local hospital. Since then, my goal is to pursue a nursing degree so that I can give back to others. I lost about 20 pounds when I was in the hospital on just bed rested.
When I got out, I was weak, slow, and very out of shape. I was nowhere near the football player I used to be. Before I was sick I was ranked one of the top 100 defensive football players in the state of Texas. And when I got out, I just wasn’t the same; it took a toll on me. I no longer wanted to play football. I felt like it wasn’t for me anymore but a week after I got out of the hospital, I earned my starting spot back, on defense and on offense. I started preforming at a decent level, and I finished off the season feeling really good. I got to play basketball and balled out. There are many more challenges that I faced and are still facing, but this is just one of many that I’ve overcome.
I have recently enrolled at Amarillo College and my goal is to be able to start my classes this August and in three years get my RN. They say God gives his toughest battles to his strongest soldiers, and I believe this is very true. I would love to become a nurse and help many kids that are in the same situation that I’m in. It was a very long and bumpy road, but it taught me a very valuable lesion that family is everything, and there is more to life than how much money you make or how many parties you go too.
My goal now is to someday be able to work with kids and help those that may be in similar positions that I was in. I feel that many times we are ‘seen by the disease we have’, and that is not what defines us. Specific strengths that I feel have helped me and will continue to help me are that I am resilient, committed and dedicated.
Makena has Ehlers Danlos Syndrome and Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS) and will be attending St. Petersburg College to pursue nursing.
My dream is to become a NICU nurse. I have always loved babies and have been taking care of them for as long as I can remember. I have completed the CNA program at my high school. I have done rotations in several nursing homes and hospitals and really loved my patients. I think my experience so far will help me achieve my goal.
I have faced challenges that many my age have not. The biggest and the most difficult was to be by my best friend’s side as she battled cancer from two-years-old until the day before she turned 11. She lost her fight, and that was a devastating portion of my life. I have worked through so much, I have gone to church on a weekly basis and that has been a huge help for me. Maybe a huge help for others as well, because we would speak in groups a lot. I have been able to stay healthy for the most part, and I feel like I want to honor Bella by doing what I can to make a difference.
I have EDS/POTS, my brother has multiple autoimmune diseases, and my best friend fought the worst battle of cancer. I have spent many years in hospitals with them, loving them and trying to comfort them. I have seen what it takes to be a nurse especially with children. I would love to be that person to someone in the future, especially to babies. Also, I can relate to children with illness. Sometimes the most helpful thing is to understand.
Raegan has Systemic Onset Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis with CNS involvement, Macrophage Activation Syndrome, Pseudotumor Cerebri, Dysautonomia, immunoglobulin deficiency, and Cushing’s Syndrome. She will be attending Georgia Southern University to pursue becoming a Child Life Specialist.
While I wouldn’t really consider myself unique or special, my small stature (4’11), red hair and freckles often make me stand out in a crowd.
This past year has been really tough health wise. I have battled infection after infection, most of them making me quite ill. Some days it was hard to even put one foot in front of the other. It has literally been a school year of BLOOD (lots and lots of lab work), SWEAT equity in doing anything and everything I had to do to just keep going each day, and let’s not dwell on the TEARS, many were shed, most were cleansing, but I somehow feel like I’m coming out of this past school year stronger because of it all.
I’m ready to start my fourth and final year as an undergraduate, and then it’s on to grad school. I cannot wait until I am working within the walls of a children’s hospital, giving back to others what has been afforded to me all these years.
Sarah has Juvenile Arthritis, Pseudotumor Cerebri, Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis, and Dysautonomia. She will be attending the University of Florida to pursue pharmaceutical research and development.
I recently graduated from Rollins College with a bachelor’s in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. This fall, I’ll be starting my master’s program in the same field at the University of Florida. I believe my strengths, my curiosity for science and genuine love of learning, will help guide me as I take on graduate-level coursework. My interest in healthcare was originally inspired by the care I received from dedicated healthcare professionals. However, as I took more upper-level biology and chemistry courses, I realized my passion lies more in chemistry.
In many of my chemistry classes, I found myself in awe of what I was learning, especially in organic chemistry, where synthesis felt like solving puzzles. Biochemistry helped tie it all together and sparked a deeper interest in understanding the molecular basis of life and disease. This shift in perspective led me to want to make an impact from the lab side, through drug discovery or by studying the biochemical mechanisms behind diseases.
In the future, I hope to work in pharmaceutical research and development, where I can help improve healthcare from behind the scenes. I also know that setbacks are inevitable, but I think one of my greatest strengths is my kind heart. I always try to remember the bigger picture, that the work I do can ultimately help others. No matter where my career takes me, I want to continue supporting my community, whether through research or nonprofit involvement. Above all, I believe my determination will keep me moving forward as I pursue my goals and strive to make a difference.
As I transition to a much larger university, I carry lessons with me. I’ve learned how to advocate for myself, adapt under pressure, and never lose sight of why I started. My experiences have inspired me to contribute to healthcare through pharmaceutical research and drug discovery. I’ve proven I can push through difficult circumstances and stay committed to my goals. I don’t take education for granted, and I’m ready to make the most of this next chapter.
T.J. has Juvenile Arthritis, Gastroparesis with GERD, Ulcerative Colitis, Autism, and Immunosuppression and will be attending University of North Florida to pursue becoming a librarian and author.
A specific dream or goal I have is being able to professionally write and share fictional stories with people. I’ve always loved listening, reading, and watching people tell stories; whether it was my grandfather or an author. I aspire to tell these stories through the medium of literature for two reasons: passion for literature and personal strengths. I find personal enjoyment in this form of storytelling. I would always check out a book from the school library when I was little, race home, and read it in its entirety sitting in the front yard. My love for getting lost in these fictional worlds stemmed from these memories.
I have been faced with many problems throughout my life and instead of hiding from them, I choose to confront them. I have worked tirelessly with the doctors to help me fix my own health. I also studied constantly to not only keep up with my classmates, but to surpass them as a top student. Finally, I have pursued my dream while managing my time with health and education. I worked hard to make my life great and with this grant, I will continue to work hard at college.
