For a kid who was just 10 years old when she was told she has neurofibromatosis, it would be easy for Ali Didier to just focus on the can’ts.

You can’t hear well because a tumor is growing on the nerve endings in your ear. You can’t play soccer because you’re having surgery to remove a tumor. You can’t stop your body from producing the tumors.

But somehow, Ali took in her diagnosis and thought, “Oh, yes I can.”

Didier, now 19, of Bolingbrook, walks each year in the Great Steps 4NF event to raise money for Neurofibromatosis Midwest. The St. Charles-based organization funds research into treatments and cures, supports specialized neurofibromatosis clinics and more.

Didier will join hundreds of walkers in Naperville on Saturday, June 4. Today in Neighbor, she tells us more about her experience with the disorder.