Erin Iredale

Meet Erin. She is a 25 year old PhD candidate at Western University studying Medical Biophysics. She was born with a type of dwarfism called Spondylo-Metaphyseal dysplasia. This means that Erin’s bones grow abnormally, leading to her being short statured, standing at 3’9” tall. This has caused her to have many surgeries on her back, neck, and legs throughout her life, and she has experienced chronic pain associated with her condition. 

She explained that her condition has greatly affected her life. While I expected her to explain how it has negatively affected her, she continued to say that she has learned to appreciate all of the good and beautiful things in life, even when she is going through hard times. She identified that going through the pain and surgeries associated with her condition is a huge obstacle in her life - but, that these experiences have shaped her into the person she is today. Erin also identifies that she sometimes has to worker harder or find other ways of doing things the average person takes for granted, but that she has become resilient throughout the process. She also attributes her success to her greatest role model - her mother. Erin’s mother was an integral part of her accepting her condition and not letting it define her or stop her from achieving her goals. 

So how does she deal with the obstacles that face her? She believes in the power of positivity. She recalled being a child and undergoing her first surgery but remaining positive and smiling throughout the whole process. One of her favourite quotes is, “every day may not be a good day, but there’s something good in every day” which she feels reflects her attitude of finding something beautiful to appreciate every single day. 

And just when you thought Erin could not be any more bad ass and inspiring, she’s also doing her PhD in hopes of becoming a clinical medical physicist. She’s currently working on radiation treatment and cancer research, which she so modestly explained, is essentially finding ways to cure cancer. 

Finally, her advice to women pursuing their dreams is:
“Never give up. Even when the world seems to be against you, or you are dealing with life’s obstacles. The journey may not be easy, and you may to make some adjustments along the way, but the important thing is to never stop trying. And most importantly, keep smiling. Life is too short to not enjoy the ride!”