True story played out on earth By RadioARTPOP, Aug 9 2014 03:06AM Adrie Kritzinger is a 35-year-old Little Monster and talented artist from South Africa. You can find the above work and more at the artSHOP on RadioARTPOP.com. Read her story of how Gaga's influence on her life helps her keep a positive attitude about having multiple sclerosis (MS). This was originally published in June on another website to which we do not have the link. I was born 35 years ago in Humansdorp, South Africa. We grew up on a farm in the Kouga Mountains near Kareedouw,South Africa. For my entire school career my brother and I lived at the school hostel during the week and went home every weekend. I was very sporty and played in the 1st tennis and netball teams, and I also did well in the Eastern Province Championships in athletics. I was a tennis fanatic! I owned numerous scrapbooks full of pictures of Steffi Graf (including her signature on a postcard she sent me!) . All my life I was very sporty, active person and this lead to my accident in June 1999 (racing on a quad bike without a helmet). I woke up in the hospital with a concussion. I never fully recovered after that accident. Symptoms came and went - double vision, balancing problems, pins and needles on the right side of my face accompanied with a left hand that trembled uncontrollably. Close to the end of 2001, I woke up one morning with a huge headache... it was the day after I wrote my final Technikon exam. I took two painkillers and went back to sleep. When I woke up the headache was still there. I took two more painkillers and gradually my headache got better. But my head still felt very heavy, like when you have flu. But I had no other flu symptoms. So I went to the doctor who gave me medicine, believing I had contracted a virus which was doing the rounds. But two weeks later there was still no improvement. Back to the doctor, who then referred me to a neurologist, who had me take a MRI brain scan. And there on the scan was the answer that for 2 and a half years none of the doctors could find. A bunch of white dots in my brain. I had multiple sclerosis (MS). I was young and I've never heard of MS before. The neurologist explained the sickness to me and told me that it is not curable. The accident did not cause it, it only brought on the symptoms earlier. The neurologist drew me a graph to show how my life and health would deteriorate. The graph's estimation was that I would be dead by 44. I don't think I said much. Afterall, this is not the kind of news you want to hear at 22! I remember those next few mornings waking up crying. I had just finished my studies. How do I compile a CV to apply for work with not knowing what this sickness was going to do to me physically? Many other thoughts went through my head....will I ever get married, have children, will I be confined to a wheelchair, etc, etc... Well, life went on - I worked at two different lodges as a receptionist. My body was brave and willing. But the changes slowly started to have an affect on the quality of my life. At the end of 2007, I legally retired! I could not walk properly anymore and my memory and concentration abilities were not as good as it used to be. I don't think I was ever angry with God. I would have liked to be healthy, but if He thought this was the best life for me, who am I to argue with Him? Surely He had a purpose, which He had not revealed to me yet....maybe He would heal me one day, or maybe never again. He knew... I do not have any artistic training and I always wished I could draw well. Then in 2004 I read a book about drawing, I studied the exercises with photos shown, and so I practiced and practiced. It has always fascinated me that one can actually draw someone's face and then recognize their face from the drawing. It was only since we lived in Jeffreys Bay(2009) that I realised how music inspired me to draw. Which started as a trip to Australia... A friend of mine in Australia (whom I only have contact with via FB) sent my mother a Facebook message. She and her husband wanted to sponsor any dream of mine; a trip anywhere in the world or something that I really wanted but couldn't afford. My mom suggested a visit to the Australian Open tennis. They made all the arrangements from Australia. I couldn't believe it. I was going to Australia! And watch the tennis stars in action! I was beside myself with excitement. I asked my friend why they did this and how I would ever be able to thank them? She answered: "Don't thank us, thank God. Everything we have is from Him anyway." I was beyond excited, but then, I also felt slightly worried. Because after those 2 weeks of bliss I would have to return to my normal life, with its routine and daily health challenges. I was worried that life would then be more difficult for me with the added longing to go back to those fun-filled days in Australia. So I prayed for the months leading up to the trip that God would do something...like help me win another tennis ticket for next year's tournament or that this trip would become a regular arrangement. Or anything WOW! And then ... big disappointment ... our visas came too late and we missed the tennis. And although I cried for days, I believed deep down that there must be a "damn" good reason for this! I just explained to my friend in Sydney: "Claire, God will never take anything from you and then not give you something better, you'll see." But quietly I thought to myself, why did I pray that prayer?! Then came the interesting twist ... Eventually got my visa and set off for Australia. I happened to celebrate my birthday there, and what did I get from my friends for my birthday?...an iPad! The iPad was the reason I watched the iTunes Festival last year September. Lady Gaga was on first. I knew very little about her. I always thought she had great music, but what I read about her in the media and in chain mails was all bad stuff. I remember one chain mail with someone's analysis of her music claiming it was full of "Hidden Devil Worship". So I also had a very negative image of her. But a strange thing happened. I had this big drawing that I couldn't finish. It was a composition of 15 faces which I had individual photos of and I had to draw them together. It took forever and then I decided it was too difficult and considered giving up on it. But then as I listened to Lady Gaga it inspired me to finish the drawing! In record time! It wasn't long before I realised that what I thought I knew about her wasn't all true, and that the media made her up to be something she wasn't (duh!). The iPad opened up a whole new world for me, one I never would've discovered without it. The second pencil sketch I made of Lady Gaga was my own combination of the Artpop-album, with the lyrics of her ​​song written on it, and a little cross next to it. I was quite chuffed with my "design" because it was the first time I drew something without a clear photo to draw from. While I was drawing it, 3 sentences came up in my mind. I still remember them and I hope I can say them out loud to her one day. I sent the drawings off to New York with a letter about myself and the MS. I was only a member on her Little Monsters site for 6 weeks and they decided to feature me in her newsletter! Ironically just after the newsletter was out,she shared about her beliefs on Little Monsters, attached was a photo of herself and THREE questionmarks stuck over her! She doesn't know about the three sentences in my head! A few months ago, our pastor preached one Sunday about the blind man that Jesus healed and then the disciples asked Jesus whose sins caused the man to be blind? His or his parents? Jesus said it was neither's fault, but that “this happened so the power of God could be seen in him.” (John 9:3) It wasn't a coincidence...missing the tennis, getting an iPad, listening to her music to help me draw. I actually find it funny when people pity me for not having a stereotypical life... Lady Gaga is not big at all where I live,but I experience her as an amazing human being! I am just so so happy, her music means the world to me, as in I don't mind my health being on the downhill. I'm excited for the rest of my life on earth, the music keeps me happy morning, noon and night. Weird to explain,but Little Monsters understand!I met one of my best friends ever on Little Monsters And after life,God is eternal happiness :-) ..I feel like one of the luckiest persons alive, GENUINE! I believe the doctor's prediction that I would only live until the age of 44, was wrong (or maybe I misunderstood him). I think I will soon be permanently glued to my scooter, but I'm incredibly blessed to have it,because I might SIT, but I still see Gaga's potential to make a Godly difference in this world. I got what I prayed for....! -Of all the answers God could give me,Lady Gaga is what He gave me..?!! I never even was a fan! But began to realize His answer was the best!...coz God makes no mistakes. I thank God for Gaga and praise Him for my interesting life! radioartpop.com/...