Bluffton author defies odds she was given at birth, now uses her story to encourage others

BLUFFTON, S.C. (WTOC) - A Bluffton woman born with spina bifida—who doctors once told would not live to see her fifth birthday—is now in her 40s, raising a daughter and sharing her life story as a published author.

Maddy Danielle Tennison was born with spina bifida, a birth defect that affects the spine during pregnancy. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the condition occurs when the neural tube does not form or close completely.

“I just enjoy my birthdays,” Tennison said. “Because, you know, I wasn’t supposed to see them.”

Tennison said her family was given a grim prognosis when she was a baby.

“They said… that I wouldn’t live to be five years old, but here I am, 42,” Tennison said. “I have a daughter.”

She credits her mother’s support—and years of being underestimated—for helping fuel her determination.

Tennison also said spina bifida affects every person differently.

“Spina bifida is known as the snowflake disability because none of us are the same,” she said. “We all have similarities, but none of us are the same.”

Tennison said she has worked to accomplish many of the things she was told she would never be able to do, including becoming a published author.

“That’s one of the things that they said I wouldn’t do, but I accomplished it,” she said. “And here just recently, within a couple of years, I became a published author.”

Her books are based on her life and written, she said, to teach and encourage readers.

“I want DT Books to be a tool where people can learn, feel accepted, and know that they are special because we all are,” Tennison said.

Tennison said it was important to share her story to remind others they can keep pursuing their goals—no matter how different they may feel.

“Don’t let anyone… tell you you can’t,” she said. “You know what you can do—you can try it. And if you can’t, just work at it until it works.”

Tennison said she plans to hold an awareness walk in the fall.

To learn more about Tennison’s books, click here.