Oakley is a bright, beautiful, and bubbly girl who loves to dance. There isn't a moment you catch her standing still. From a baby to now,  Oakley has always been smiling and dancing.

One of her favorite things to do is dance in the flower field by her house. "Spin, kick, up, down." said Oakley as she moved freely. 

As time went on Oakley began to develop tics. Her body would randomly jerk, jolt, and most commonly, she would clap and yell "applause!" 

Not too long after this began Oakley was told she has Tourette Syndrome. This means she would sometimes do or say things without meaning to. She does not have control over the tics she was experiencing. 

This made Oakley's daily life a bit more complicated, but she was strong. She figured it out step by step.

Oakley told her mom " Mamma I want to take a dance class." Her mom was unsure about this idea at first regarding her tourettes. Therefore, she sat Oakley down and explained that a dance class might be harder for her than the other kids. Also that the kids might not be very nice to Oakley because she was different.  

However, Oakley was determined to take a class either way so...

Oakley got her first pair of ballet slippers and...

...took her first dance class. Oakley felt amazing in her pink tutu and silky ballet slippers! However, after the first combination at the bar Oakley yelled "Applause" as she clapped her hands together.

The other girls starred at her with mean eyes and began to say harsh words like "you're weird, shush it, I don't want to stand by her." 

The teacher then explained Oakley's Syndrome to the other children. That she could not control what she was saying and doing in those moments. And that saying rude things was never okay.

Classes went on, Oakley's tics continued, girls got nicer, and Oakley's dance improved. She was learning new skills and having the time of her life.