When I found out I was sick, it was the beginning of my junior year I didn’t know what was going to happen. Everything changed so fast and I was struggling with getting to school because of being in the hospital. Despite my illness, I was still determined to preserve and just live my life, but my health started to deteriorate and things took a rapid turn downhill.
The doctors told my family that they were doing everything they could, but time was not on our side. I don’t remember much, but through slipping in and out of consciousness in my hospital bed, I remember seeing glimpses of my family standing around me telling me how much they love me. I was scared, but at the same time I felt watched over.
Heaven was next thing that came to my mind because I needed help breathing and I was just so tired. Then I realized I was not ready to go and I was going to hold on. It was almost like a spark had gone off inside me. That spark was perseverance and determination. Although my body was physically weak and frail, my heart and will to live was much stronger.
I spent two weeks in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit fighting and trying to regain some of my strength. During that time, I saw and went through things that were unimaginable, but I was still determined to keep going. The happiest day was leaving that unit and being taken back upstairs to the normal pediatric unit. The feelings running through me were indescribable and the doctors kept saying that I was a living miracle.
Knowing I still had my junior year of school left ahead of me, I picked myself up by my boot straps. I was determined to start my senior year with the rest of my classmates. Within four months, I completed 11th grade and was ready to go for 12th.
To quote Forrest Gump, “Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re going to get”. For me, I was unlucky and got sick, but that doesn't matter because I overcame it. Obstacles are just a part of life and they make us the people we are today. Different trials will always be coming into my life and overcoming them will only make me stronger. Life does have a plan in store for me. I’m not quite sure what that plan is yet, but I’m going to find out and I’m ready for whatever else is going to be thrown my way. Things might not always go how I plan, but no matter what, I will always keep moving forward.
