Lauren refuses to let pain run show
DESPITE living in physical pain every day, Lauren Steel has dedicated her life to helping disadvantaged youth realise their acting dreams.
After being diagnosed with abdominal cutaneous nerve entrapment syndrome at 15, Ms Steel, from Reedy Creek, had to watch her dreams of becoming an actor disintegrate as the disease attacked the nerves in her muscles, eventually leaving her crippled and unable to do anything for herself.
“I became very depressed and it was very hard battling the pain,” she said. “I’m in pain every day of my life but I just chose to focus my attention on other things.”
The crippling illness has not stopped the 21-year-old from following her passion for the performing arts, turning her attention to writing plays and nurturing young talents.
The dedication she has shown for the performing arts, despite living with a severe disease, has earned her a nomination in the Young Leader category of the Pride of Australia Awards.
Ms Steel has already produced two musicals, Kirsten and Craters Mansion, through the Robina Diamond Theatre and is working on her third production, one she wrote herself, which portrays a fictional version of her years through high school.
“I have been working on this current project, Amp It Up, for the last three years and I am looking at developing it as a web series then hopefully send it off to TV networks,” she said.
The majority of young performers working on this production have, like her, mental health issues and disabilities.
“I want to give young kids who are going through pain, who are going through mental health issues and who have disabilities, the opportunity to follow their acting dreams,” she said.
“A lot of them don’t have the opportunity to go to private dance and acting lessons so I’m doing all I can to help them realise their dreams.
“It’s such a surreal feeling to watch a whole production come together and I’m always extremely proud when I see the kids performing on stage.”