September 8, 2003 was a special day for 20-year-old MARIA TOMASSI, of East Boston. It was her first day as a Cosmetology student at NEW ENGLAND HAIR ACADEMY. Maria’s lifelong dream has been to be in the “beauty business” and own a salon. The first few months flew by and Maria was progressing well. One day, while in class a strange and uncomfortable feeling came over her. She felt out of control. She went home and rested, then seemed all right. A few weeks later she had two similar episodes and decided to consult her doctor. He diagnosed her problem as panic and anxiety attacks and prescribed medication. All was well for a while; Maria became a senior student and was happily working on clients. Unfortunately, the attacks returned with a vengeance. Maria began missing school. Depression set in and she feared she would not be able to continue her schooling. Her doctor recommended that she see a cardiologist. After much testing, it was discovered that Maria had a serious infection of the pericardium, a membrane surrounding her heart. She was hospitalized and again missed about a month of school. But Maria is such a fighter that today she is back in school, has a high GPA and is looking forward to graduating this June and making her “dream” salon a dream come true.