Elisha Todd: My Story

Born premature at 25 weeks in Houston, TX in 1985

mother was 16 years old

Weighed 1 lb. 6 oz and was 8 inches long

raised with grandparents in Calallen, TX until I was 7

moved to Victora, TX with mother

grandparents were musicians and taught me how to play guitar

met my father for the first time when I was 13 (and his wife & newborn daughter), lives in Colorado

startef making short movies and mock news segments with a hand me down video camera

mother became involved in a lesbian relationship

moved to Denver to get to know my Dad and his family

enrolled in the Colorado Film School to persue a BA in Film and Video Technology with an emphasis in Post Production, became an above average student

Answered a local ad for a guitarist wanted for an all female rock band, became the rhythm guitarist for Heaven's Night

became a roomate to a friend from film school, after several months of disagreements- got kicked out

went back to school for a semester but started failing so stopped going to classes

lived on a friend's couch for six months, worked as a Stagehand setting up concerts and live productions for Rhino Staging

Graduated from Memorial High School

Grandmother passed away from cancer, she was 54 years old

Started college at Victoria College

father gets divorced-forced to move out

moved back to Calallen, TX to live with grandpa

failed every class at Del Mar College and tried unsucessfully to start a band In Corpus Christi, TX

visited my Aunt who lived in Missouri while members of my Texas family were visiting

based on my appearance in Missouri and my living conditions in Colorado, my mom calls my dad convinced I'm on drugs and needs to move back to Victoria

my dad who I hadn't really had any contact with since moving out of his house in 2005, calls and makes a visit, I'm on a plane back to Texas the next morning

Having convinced my mother that I wasn't on drugs, she is still determined that "something is wrong" based on my appearance

Blood tests in May show abnormal results, but this gets "pushed aside" in the doctor's office

Admitted to the hospital in December for dehydration

Diagnosed with Graves Disease in December of 2007, based on lab tests this has been undiagnosed for at least two years

Opt for treatment of a radioactive iodine pill as opposed to surgery to remove part of my thyroid

released from hospital a week after being admitted

Had a daughter on Aug. 17th 2009 and named her after my grandma

being pregnant put a stop to my Graves Disease when it made my thyroid start funcioning normal

after becoming a single parent, decided I needed to go back to school

enrolled at Victoria College

Graduated with Associate of Science Degree in May 2012

Since UHV has accepted my film classes as technical credit, I'm currently planning on getting my BAAS in Communication in 2013