Life is a Gift. There have never been truer words
spoken. Although we all struggle day to
day with things that make us question our purpose, life is something we should all be thankful for. Some people don’t get a chance to even experience life. This is true for my best friend Amanda. Amanda passed away when she was seven years old. We got
really close because of our situations. She had leukemia and it got the best of her. She was denied treatment at Sloan Kettering Memorial Hospital in New York because her family did not have the money.
At the same time, I was in Sloan for treatment of bone marrow
cancer. Amanda was the one that kept me going. She gave me hope and strength and something to look forward too every day.
We spent time playing like six year old kids should, she was my only
friend. It was the worst most devastating feeling to hear that my only hope had passed away. At seven years old I learned how tragic and unfair this thing called life could be. I didn’t find out about her untimely death until I was almost discharged from the hospital. Amanda’s mother continued to visit me at the hospital and whenever she was there I could truly feel Amanda right next to my hospital bed. I was there for two years. I was admitted right before
my sixth birthday and was discharged in the summer of 2000. That journey was the longest most miserable experience anyone should have to endure. I suffered through chemotherapy and radiation which made me even sicker. I cried and screamed every day
that I had to go for treatment. I lost my hair, my appetite, my desire to get up from my hospital bed, I lost my smile, I lost everything at only six. I hadn’t seen my two brothers since before I was admitted because my mom didn’t think it was somewhere they should see their sister.
My mother only came once a week because it was too much for her to handle. My mom really let me down. Especially after Amanda’s death, my mom really limited the time she spent with me because it was just too difficult. To this day I still feel like my mother let me down, but I have learned to forgive and forget even though it
stays with me. However, in January 2000, my mother was told that if I didn’t receive a bone marrow transplant I wouldn’t make it. After blood transfusions and constant testing, I was eligible for a transplant. In April 2000, my guardian angels were with me while I underwent a long surgery, when I woke up I was happily surprised
that my mom was right beside me holding my hand, but Amanda wasn’t. After my surgery I spent the next three months in the hospital before I was finally discharged. The weeks following, I was instructed to continue visits with my doctor. It had
only been a few weeks since Amanda passed away and I was still distraught and wished I could have said goodbye. When I
went to see my doctor my mother got the donor report from my bone marrow. The results were shocking, almost too much to
even believe. My marrow was donated from my best friend, my angel, Amanda. The surgery made her sicker and ultimately caused her death. She died in order to save my life. She is a true hero and my guardian angel. I live every day knowing I am living not just my life, but also my best friends because she sacrificed her
life to save mine.
Life is a gift; treasure it, because not everyone has an equal chance.
