A Piece Of Me...

Talking about myself, is not an easy task, but here I go. I was born in Fajardo Puerto Rico. Fajardo is viewed as the warmest part of the island and a place where you feel like you are in a permanent vacation. I was a normal kid. I never broke a bone on a bicycle or in any sport. I may have looked like a wimpy kid that would not break a plate, but I can sometimes be a little bit naughty. Nonetheless my story differs from many because at twelve years old my life turned drastically from a straight path to an uphill battle filled with surprises and obstacles that have shaped me into who I am today.  

You may ask what happen when I turned 12 and I’d say that I was diagnosed with SLE or for those who are not familiar with the acronym, it is Systematic Lupus Erythematous. It is a sickness which your immune system shuts down and it does not fight illnesses like the common cold or any virus.  If I were to contract the common cold or any virus the symptoms of the virus worsen compared to a regular patient because I lose weight and have muscle weakness much faster. Since that day, I knew that exercising and eating healthy would be must for my life. I also realized, I should make every day count, for life is never going to be clear and good for me.  Years passed, and I had another health related episode that marked my life in a way that I consider it a crossroad in life. In my senior year of high school, my body started acting weird because i felt exhausted every day, even though I was not doing any physical activity. Then I began to lose appetite and started to lose weight rapidly. I thought I had food poisoning, so I kept quite because I have never been the type of person who demonstrates that I was in pain or going through something. Later the symptoms worsened and I starting having nosebleeds, and there I knew I had to worry more and take action because my insides were abnormal, and needed to be dealt with.  

I reached a weight of 143 pounds with my current height of 6 feet and 2 inches and had my hemoglobin at 7, when a normal one is 14. I was close to death. In that moment people asked me what was I thinking, but I just prayed and gave my future to God. To be honest, I thought I was going to die and so did most of the doctors who treated me. I got better because it was God’s will, and since the day I left that cold hospital room, I knew I must have a special purpose in my life. Since I was a child I have always been obsessed with helping people in need and caring for those who are sick even if I end up being affected by them.  The truth is that we live a life without seeing the details of what surrounds us, but life is to short to pass it without taking it in and enjoying it.  That is the reason I am the kind of kid willing to help you even though it is taking a risk, but I have faith not only in God, but in our humanity that my actions will be guarded . We just have been misguided and end up living too close-minded and bombarded with media that makes us live with fear to help even those close to us who just need a hand.

Maybe it is just me, but my life experiences have shown me that we need to make every day count as these brief few words about whom I am. Then again, I think it is necessary to be detailed on who I am and wish to convey and be understood because you may think life is unjust with you, but take a second glance and see that you are blessed and other people can have real problems.