Hope Anderson’s mission is in her name

MIDDLEBORO — When Hope Anderson was born 23 years ago, doctors doubted her future and her parents were unsure if she would make it out of the hospital. 

She was born premature, and at only around a pound — about the size of an adult’s palm — she was considered a “micro preemie.”

In the numerous visits she made to the hospital shortly after, Anderson’s great-grandmother listened as Anderson’s mother considered what to name her newborn.

Each visit, Anderson’s mother would repeat how she hoped her daughter would live through her time in the intensive care unit. 

While her mother first planned to name her daughter Lexi Hope, she later swapped the two names at her great-grandmother’s urging. 

“People often ask me, ‘Is having the name Hope a big pressure for you? Do you feel like you always have to be exuding that positivity?’” Anderson said. “Some days, yeah, it is. But that pressure really fuels me to be the best person I can be.”

Anderson said she strives to live up to her name, and works to spread hope through her volunteer work, her professional goals and her community initiatives. 

Volunteering is important to Anderson, and the Special Olympics are especially close to her heart. In her childhood she did gymnastics through the organization, and said it helped her develop healthy motor skills while having fun.

At the urging of a friend, she became a volunteer coach and has led several teams in the 10 years she has been working with the organization. 

She said it's been a full-circle experience to coach kids with struggles similar to hers, and the time she has spent with them has been rewarding and inspiring.

“A lot of them struggle with physical or intellectual disabilities,” Anderson said. “That can look really chaotic and difficult — and it's definitely a challenge for them and their families — but one thing that I love about the kids I coach is that they have such joy.”

She said the work she did with the organization helped her realize her passion for helping kids, and led her to her future profession. 

Anderson had always wanted to become a doctor, but said it felt like a “pipe dream” until she started taking classes for her exercise science degree. She is currently a pre-med student at Tufts University, with plans to become a developmental behavioral pediatrician. 

Her job will combine her love of medicine — gained in part from her parents who are nurses — and helping children with developmental challenges. 

“I just love helping people,” Anderson said. “That's where I feel like I thrive the most.”

She also thrives on creating community. 

She first began competing in the Miss America contest about four years ago, and said the competition has empowered her to speak up for herself and others. While she was “terrified” the first time she stepped onto the stage, she said she now enjoys it.

“I fell in love with the idea that the girls could get on stage in front of hundreds of people and speak their opinions clearly, concisely and with confidence,” Anderson said.

She uses that confidence to share her own story and encourage others to share theirs.

It wasn’t always easy for her to share her story, she said. She was intimidated because of her “rare story” of having minimal health complications after her premature birth. 

“My mom really empowered me through the last few years, saying, ‘No, we fought for this. You are so blessed to have this opportunity,” Anderson said. “It is our obligation, therefore, to spread awareness and spread positivity and be the voice of people that still struggle.”

She said when she talks to people about their prematurity stories, there is an instant connection. By encouraging people to share their stories, she hopes to foster a sense of community she said can be lacking once people leave the hospital and lose their support system.

For November, which is Prematurity Awareness Month, she partnered with Coffee Milano Cafe in Middleboro for her most recent initiative to spread awareness. 

She came up with the idea to offer a vanilla-and-lavender drink at the coffee shop, and encouraged people who ordered throughout the month to post a photo or video along with their “story of hope.”

She said she was excited by the reaction she got to the recent project, and aims to continue inspiring others to use their own platforms to inspire hope.

“I want other people to be like, ‘Hey, Hope Anderson did this. What if I took advantage of opportunities and promoted things that I'm passionate about, spread that positivity and kindness?’” she said. “If I can do that, then I've done my job.”