On February 11, 2010 my life changed forever. At 7:30 a.m., the anesthesiologist placed a mask over my nose and mouth and then told me to count back from 10. I made it to 7, and that was the last thing I remember before waking up in agony. Several months prior to surgery, I was told that I had progressive scoliosis, it needed to be fixed to stabilize my spine. At that moment, I never knew placing two stainless steel rods in my back would change my perspective on everything, this I believe in inspiration.
Considering I spent 8 days in a children’s hospital, I realized that there was a part of this “perfect world” that I had never been exposed to. One day, I was wheeled out to the recreational room to start my daily therapy. I was emotionally discouraged, and I had a negative attitude. As I looked around, I noticed two other kids that were in worse condition than I was.
One little girl was in a halo-traction wheelchair with screws in her skull. She was shooting basketball and laughing. Then, there was a teenage boy playing pool while lying down in a hospital bed. I thought to myself, “How could these unfortunate kids be so happy?” Later that day, my grandfather spoke to me about that boy that he had played a game of pool with and explained to me his situation. He was about to have surgery to see if he could possibly walk again. This made me realize that I had been drowning in self-pity.
Leaving the hospital was bittersweet for me. It was hard to say goodbye to those who took care of me, yet I was grateful to return home. I was homebound for three months before finally returning to school. The first day back was eye-opening, as I noticed that I was not the same girl anymore. I could hear people talking about having a bad hair day or not wanting to go to basketball practice. This is when I thought about the little girl in the halo who wished she could fix her hair and the teenage boy who would have loved to be able to run. Admittedly, in our society today, people have become so self-absorbed and blind to actual problems people are facing around them.
Since being in the hospital, I look at life with a deeper meaning. I don’t allow hectic schedules to sweep me away; I focus on what those other children in the hospital taught me and that is life, love, and the pursuit of happiness are what truly matters. Although my scar does not define me, it has shaped me into who I am. I learned that through my experience, no matter the severity of the situation, we can all be inspired and should always inspire one another.