After participating in the firing range activity at Handiboe Range, Cadet Amanda Lewis gathers her gear to go back to the barracks for further training. Sammy Jo Hester/PAO
By Katie Lever
Staff writer
The U.S. Army has strict medical standards to which every Soldier and aspiring Soldier must adhere. Those standards cover every major health problem involving everything from vision to mood disorders to physical fitness.
The only health concern Delta Cadet Amanda Lewis has involves her heart. At age 4, she was diagnosed with an insufficient aortic bicuspid valve, which affects blood flow to her heart.
?One valve doesn?t close all the way, and it leaks,? she said. ?So I have a heart murmur.?
Dealing with doubt
Because of her condition, Lewis has faced many skeptics on her journey to the Leader?s Training Course.
?My parents didn?t think I could do this,? she said. ?My relatives didn?t think I could do this. They were all concerned about medical clearance. The doctors thought (the Army) wouldn?t say yes.?
Their concerns are justified. A slight abnormality such as color blindness can deny a Soldier medical clearance and end his or her military career before it even starts. It doesn?t help that her intense physical fitness regimen might stress the damaged valve and lead to complications later in life.
?According to the doctors, (the valve) leaks more during physical activity,? she said. ?Their concern is that I will eventually need surgery to replace the valve.?
But Lewis doesn?t let doubt or fear affect her aspirations. She listens to the concerns of her family and doctors but prefers to make her own choices.
?I like to live in the here and now,? she said. ?I listen to what they say but in the end, it?s my life and my decision.?
Heart of gold
Although Lewis? ?heart condition has given her many doubters, her drive and passion has earned her a believer.
?Cadet Lewis is a stick of dynamite,? said Sgt. Jerome Pearson, a drill sergeant with 2nd platoon. ?She tries extra hard at every task. When she doesn?t get it, she continues until she gets it or time expires.?
Pearson says Lewis has fought illness not related to her heart since arriving at Fort Knox, but has never complained.
?She?s been sick, but other than that, she?s been fine,? he said. ?If (her heart) has been bothering her, she?s kept it a secret. From what I?ve seen, it hasn?t affected her at all.?
Additionally, he has high hopes for her future. He says that if she commissions, her condition shouldn?t be a problem.
?She?s smart and has good decision-making skills,? he said. ?She has the heart of a lion. She?ll be an outstanding leader someday.?
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