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YOSKAR GALVÁN

My name is Yoskar. I’m from Lexington, Nebraska and this is my story.

I have been a warrior since the day I was born and probably before. I entered this world fighting and have been fighting ever since. The doctors told my mom that If I had been born later than I was, I would have died before birth and if I had been born any earlier, my mother would have died. I was born at the exact moment necessary for my mother and I to win our first battle against the world. Together, we are still fighting the war.

 

I was born with lung problems. I had growth problems. During the first four years of my life the hospital was my second home, or even my first. My lungs were not responding to treatment and pneumonia was my closest companion.

 

I fought hard and I kept growing and battling the ills that afflicted me. Little by little I overcame the obstacles in my path. But in one of life’s greatest ironies, when I began to feel better my mother began to suffer from seizures. She was diagnosed with epilepsy. One more battle to fight. Because there is no cure for epilepsy, this is a fight we continue to battle today.

 

My house is another constant battle. It’s not easy to share a space with 11 people, much less to maintain a balance. Mom, stepfather (I met my biological father when I was 10, but that's another story), three brothers (all adopted), two sisters (one half-sister, one adopted), one five-month-old nephew, three grandparents (two from my stepfather and one from my mom) as well as three dogs. My mom, despite her illness, and stepfather work in the field from sunrise to sunset in order to give us all a better quality of life. The rest of us work and cooperate when we are able. We all help to keep our family together.

 

Ever since my lungs have allowed me, I have played soccer. The sport has given me peace and happiness. On the field is where I learn the most, where I feel alive, and where I find the most enjoyment in life. My game has improved over the years and so I was lucky to participate in the Alianza de Futbol event in Denver in 2019. Alianza offers a free tryout program for Latinos to be seen by elite pro and college scouts. The competition was very tough, but I guess that life had already prepared me for tough battles. After the event, I received an invitation from Pachuca and from the Access U Foundation who helps players like me live their dream of playing soccer in college.

 

Today I am part of the Access U program and I have the opportunity to play soccer and study a career in one of the best universities of the country. Sometimes life is incomprehensible and perhaps challenges fought and won make us stronger. I wouldn’t change anything in my life. I will never stop fighting my battles, because, so far, I haven’t lost any battles and I am confident I will win any war.

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