Throughout life everyone has different experiences. Ones that they like, and others not so much. People are always saying, or most people anyway, “Oh that would never happen to me.” Like they have some sort of immunity to have bad things happen to them, or that it seemed impossible to even happen in general. I can’t say that I was much different before I received news that changed not only my life forever but my family’s as well.
I have always been a positive person. I like looking on the bright side of things and always had the thought that good things happen to good people. Well, that is not always the case. On March 20, 2007 my younger cousin Kelly was was admitted to Children’s Memorial Hospital and diagnosed with medulloblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer. They ran tests on her for hours as we all waited nervously in the waiting section. The tests confirmed that the tumor had spread to her spinal cord and to multiple parts of her brain. Surgery was scheduled for the following day with complicated results. Some parts of the tumor were inoperable because they were in spots where if they tried to perform surgery on them, she could become paralyzed.
Devastated was not even close enough to the feeling that we all felt. My aunt collapsed as she heard the news and we all were in tears as the doctor told us the results. That day I truly had no faith in anything anymore. I couldn’t understand how that could happen to my four year old cousin who was so happy and playful. I had just seen her the week before and we played all day together. How could this have happened? Why did this happen? I had so many questions and I didn’t know what to do or where to turn.
She began chemotherapy and started getting sick and losing her hair. Every time I looked at her I just felt so sad and I wanted to take all her pain away. I wanted to help her in anyway that I could. She told me the worst part was that she wanted to get up and play, but she could’nt because she was so weak. So, I sat with her everyday and we played board games and colored together. She started to smile like she used to before she got sick, and I felt like I was making a difference. Making her forget for a while. I knew from then on I wanted a job where I could help people like Kelly. I wanted to be a nurse.
It is my goal to be a nurse so that I am able to help people. I think it is so important and what I was meant to do. I want to be able to make someone happy and see them smile, just as it was when Kelly smiled. I believe that I can make a difference in someone’s life.
