Despite having suffered from unidentified health problems for the past year, BYU-Hawaii student Keola Holt is grateful for life thanks to her friendships and music. Doctors have been unable to find out what has been causing Holt’s sickness. Holt said, “Things got better over the summer because I wasn’t involved in a lot of things so I could take care of myself and rest. It didn’t feel very stressful coming here but I guess something happened. It started getting worse. It was hard to get out of bed and so I couldn’t really make it to class. The doctors did tests on me here and found out that it’s not diabetes. Once again they weren’t able to find out what it was.” Holt, a sophomore from Washington majoring in musical theatre, initially had health problems in high school. “I started noticing some health concerns in my blood sugar towards the end of my senior year in high school. I became really weak and shaky and started to pass out. The doctors couldn’t find out what it was. I had a chest pain, went to the ER and they also couldn’t tell what it was either. It was so frustrating going to all these professionals and having them tell you they don’t know what’s going on.” Though being at college has increased her weakness, Keola said she’s glad she’s in a place like BYUH. “It’s been hard because I like being in class and participating. It takes a toll on me emotionally too, but I’m really glad that this is happening here because in a place like BYUH where the temple is so close it feels easier to have hope. If you try, you can feel the spirit that’s here and it’ll help you change how you see yourself and the world,” said Holt. Holt said she has recognized the hymns’ power in helping her overcome her trials. “I remember one night I was feeling down about everything and wanted to feel closer to the Spirit. I was listening to Vocal Point’s ‘Lead Kindly Night’ and it was amazing. My mom called me and said I should listen to ‘How Firm a Foundation’ and I cried. That might seem typical because they’re both hymns but I think that means they bring something with them.” Zoe Oswald, a freshmen from Colorado studying art education, said Keola’s determination has impacted her own life positively. “She doesn’t give up. It may not seem like it when you first meet her, but she will fight until the end. She seems very mellow at first but she is a fighter. She will fight for what she believes and for the people she believes in.” Despite her sickness, Holt has decided to serve a mission. Holt will be serving in the Panama City Panama mission, Spanish speaking. Holt will be entering the Provo MTC on Feb. 4, 2015. Holt’s close friend Garrett Jensen, a freshmen from Oregon majoring in ICS, said his deep conversations with Holt reveal her positive nature. “I think what I’ve learned is that she can find joy in anything because we talk about such a wide variety of subjects. Her biggest strength is she looks forward. She has things to focus on other than frequent doctor visits.”
Writer: Joshua Mason ~ Multimedia Journalist
