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I had made breakfast, my signature spicy pancakes with sausages and beverages. I had done the laundry, and I was going to fold the clothes later, so I went out to water the garden, do some weeding, and maybe pick flowers for Yuri, she liked the ones with purple or blue petals. I was getting my hands soiled when I heard a thud on the floor. I shouted out to Yuri; I did not get a reply. I ran in, Yuri was unconscious again. Was this new? No. Will I ever get used to it? Still no.
So, a brief introduction, we were a family of four, my mum was a nurse always looking for extra shifts because we needed all the money we could get. My dad, a real estate agent his prayer point every day is that one big job, myself, Ariana the first child who has to be the best support at home, and Yuri the last born with a congenital disorder who wishes to be free from it.
I needed help. How was I to call for help? I ran to our neighbor's house to place a call through to my mum and an ambulance too. The ambulance got here just in time, I went in with them, and they rolled Yuri in. I Sat with them they had placed an oxygen mask on her after she was resuscitated. The journey was very silent.
We got to the hospital, she was admitted, and my mum was there already immediately Yuri was in her room I was definitely going to have my ears bleed, a beautiful life where everything is your fault. "Ariana please be responsible for once, what good are you to me you can't even take of an eight-year-old. You irresponsibly made sure she bunked school and the next day she was in the hospital. When will you grow up kid?” and that was the peak I had taken enough of that I shouted back at my mum "You know I try, don't you? I do the job of two adults as a thirteen-year-old, I babysit, clean, cook to the best of my capability, do the dishes, do the laundry, and all of these with a smile on my face but it will never be enough for you. I love my sister to death, but it wasn’t my fault or my genes that she was born with cystic fibrosis”. A resounding slap landed on my face and tears trickled down my face with a shaky voice I said "It's true what I say no matter how much you hit me" I ran to the restroom and cried my eyes out.
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When my mum was pregnant, I was so happy I wanted a girl and God did it. I promised to love her with my life. When I was smaller, I did not understand what CF was, it was too much for my little brain to understand I just knew my sister had a cute tube passed down her throat and I thought it was fun because chewing was a whole lot of work, I know you would agree with me too. So let me cut the confusion, so, CF in full cystic fibrosis is inherited, it is a condition where there is a buildup of sticky mucus in the lungs and digestive system. This makes food digestion difficult and gradual deterioration of the lungs as a result of infections. The life expectancy currently is over 40 years of age with advancement in treatment well that’s as long as you can sustain it and your responsiveness to the treatment.
I had finished my little episode and I went to see Yuri. She looked so frail, so pale, my little angel was looking almost lifeless. After some days Yuri was discharged. We all went home like nothing had happened. I knew that regardless of how bad my mum treated me I was so madly and deeply in love with my sister and hell no would she get hurt on my watch again. I made sure she followed her routine promptly, meds on the check, cleaning her tube on the check, right diet on the check, every time, and every day. I believed with the right amount of care she would live past any stupid life expectancy. I would pray to God every day to make her burden light for her to live a normal life. Years had passed, twelve years if I am not mistaken. I am a twenty-five-year-old writer and poet who tries to make the world aware of love in its true form and disabilities and diseases as many as I can write before my time is up. I have a twenty-year-old sister a CF warrior who has been in and out of the hospital ever since she was born who is currently graduating from high school and who aspires to be a beautiful doctor. Life couldn’t be any better and what other joy than being there to make sure my baby girl lives her dream? It was graduation day I was definitely the happiest person alive. I wasn’t so thrilled to meet my mum we had an eternal beef my dad was still ever loving. We took a family photo and the tons of selfies Yuri, and I took. She introduced me to the boy she liked, I was elated. The day couldn’t get any better.
I guess I spoke too soon Yuri went to get me a cup of juice and I heard a thud a very loud one she was down again. This time it was not just a few days, my baby girl was in a coma and on a life-supporting machine. Half of her lungs had gone bad, and the other half was to sustain her till we found a donor, but I guess they were just fucking speculations. My heart left my body, I was shivering, and I could barely speak. This could not have happened again, I took a deep breath in and exhaled. Two months had passed and not a single lung to be donated, all the hospitals we pranced through still nothing. These 60 days were officially the worst in my pathetic life. My hands were tied I couldn’t fulfill one itsy bitsy promise and I was going to lose the one person I loved the most in the world and then I realized I had no power; my hands were tied. I found more jobs that pay hourly to make sure I could ensure she wasn’t plugged out.
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Wait, what happened? This can’t be real! Yuri is awake. She could breathe again, this could only be a miracle. As Yuri woke up and was a little bit stable, she was handed a note and it read "Hey baby girl, I am glad that your beautiful eyes can behold the world again because you own the world. How does it feel to take in a deep breath and exhale calmly? Good, right? You keep being my little princess and tell Mum that I was not so bad after all. This book is a gift to you, you always asked why I never wrote on CF well that's because I wrote on things I believed I had the power to change but I tried with us and I couldn’t change a thing and I could never bring myself to write about it but after 65 days it was finally ready ‘Just Breathe’ this book is dedicated to you and all CF warriors out there and thank you for making me a champ too. Yuri never stop breathing for us, me, and you. Always and forever, Arianna.”
Our mum handed me the book; Ariana was a queen of words, but I guess it was my time turn to write the story but mine wouldn’t be about sicknesses, nature, or whatever the world was going through. I will write of a sister's love because it comes second to none. I will love you always Arianna till I breathe my last that will be my gift to you. Love Yuri.
