My Brother the Champian
...tand that he could die from his disease? He was sleeping by the time I arrived; he would have looked so peaceful if it weren’t for all the machines he was hooked up to, machines that I know now helped save his life. Nurses bustled in and out of the room checking up on him. We did not stay long for fear of disturbing him; we kissed my grandmother goodbye and took one last look at Jake as we left. When I arrived home I had a million questions running through my mind, what was chemotherapy? How long would it take for Jake to get better? Would he still be able to play sport? I tried to ask these questions and more but my lips couldn’t form the words. The next time I visited my brother his room was full of cards and pictures his classmates had made for him. This day was one of his “good” days he had colour in his face, the biggest smile and was full of energy; he was the same brother I’d always had. Jake is not the kind of person to let the bad things keep him down. He tried his hardest to be happy, well mannered and enthusiastic about all the activities he had to partake in during his stay in the hospital. Sitting in the waiting room of a children’s cancer ward is a very daunting experience, you can hear the little ones crying, and you can see other children lying in their beds too sick to move. It makes you think about your own life and how much of it is getting wasted, you feel extremely lucky to be able to get out of bed, to have hair and most of all to live life. I was hoping and praying that Jake would be given permission to spend Christmas Day with us. There are no words to express the joy I felt when this permission was granted. My brother was literally buried in presents, not only from his family and friends, but from various charities and families that donate presents each year to terminally ill children. One of his most prized gifts was a boat given to him from the Make a Wish Foundation. “Jake’s Wish” was a treasured gift that he looked forward to using. It was another year before he was deemed well enough to leave the hospital. During that year he experienced pain that I hope none of you will ever have to endure. He had ulcers traveling from the tip of his tongue to the base of his throat, shingles (a disease very similar to chicken pox) as well as all the “normal” aches and pains that come with cancer and its treatment. Jake was admitted to the hospital weighing thirty kilograms, when he was released he weighed a very small eighteen kilograms. His treatment wasn’t completely over as he still had to receive daily injections and medication. ...