“Aurora on her birthday” by Beatrice Brandini

Finally the day came (it was a Sunday) when Aurora had to celebrate her birthday and be with everyone who loved her. As soon as she woke up she immediately ran to hug her son, but an unexpected happened.

The cake” by Beatrice Brandini

Her son was not well, already on Saturday he had shown some impatience, Aurora had in fact called the pediatrician and, unable to find him, thought to hear the medical guard, who labeled it as a simple virus that would pass with a little Tachipirina. In the morning, when she went to greet her son, she noticed that he had a fever and a pain in the abdomen, but more than anything else it seemed strange, apathetic, he who was always a wonderful little earthquake. She then decided to take him to Meyer, an important hospital specialized in the care of children.

The child walked bent over and complained, the pains had become stronger. The father was thinking of a small intestinal virus, or something bad that he ate at school. Once in the emergency room, there were also anti Covid measures to aggravate things, the child was immediately subjected to the swab, then to a series of tests (blood, ultrasound, X-rays), which never ended. Aurora was waiting for them to give him a cure to buy at the pharmacy and permission to go home, but unfortunately the tests show a serious infection and a suspected peritonitis. The child was immediately hospitalized and urgently operated, since the infection was very advanced and could be lethal. For Aurora, her birthday had turned into a nightmare. The expectation and anxiety of the result of the operation made her confused, with tears pouring down and with the awareness of not being able to do anything for her son of her except wait in a corner. Her worst thoughts about her and her anguish took over, she called her husband, who had remained outside the hospital because of the pandemic, and he too, despite her tears, tried to calm her a bit. After more than 3 hours that the child was in the operating room, a doctor appeared (fantastic!), Who gave her news about the child and the outcome of the operation, everything had gone well, finally Aurora could breathe a sigh of relief and indulge in an interminable but liberating cry.

 

“The Indian girl” by Beatrice Brandini

In the same place, another parent, the father of a child, was in the waiting room with her, smiled at her, trying to console her, asked her why she was there, and immediately afterwards he told her his story, that of his daughter. He was an Indian gentleman, he spoke a little uncertain Italian, but his voice inspired serenity and calm, despite his life having already put him to the test. Her baby had been operated on on her lungs when she was born. She had grown up, she was now 8 years old, but her health had always been poor, with several hospitalizations. The last time she had been the most terrible, after a severe respiratory crisis and after having kept her under powerful sedatives for several months, the doctors had informed the family to prepare for the worst, probably this time the little girl would not have made it. That same night the mother had a dream, it was about her daughter who was lying in the hospital bed waiting for her own end, when at a certain point a child approached her and touched her lungs with his hands. , reaching inside them to insert seeds inside. These would sprout immediately, and restore vigor to her sick lungs, just as a dry and arid soil is given a powerful fertilizer, new lifeblood.

What happened after the dream was as incredible as it was inexplicable. The little girl woke up suddenly and was fine, and the doctors, incredulous, could not explain what had happened. The parents ran to thank them, pushing the worst epilogue for their beloved child away from their heads and hearts. The doctors said it was not their doing, that night they had done absolutely nothing, besides the usual therapy they had been accustomed to for years.

Aurora’s birthday, perhaps the worst of her life, faced with that tragic story, but also infinitely moving and full of hope, appeared to her for what it really was, a dramatic but important day, a day to remember forever, where you seriously understand the priceless value of our lives. A moment before Aurora was plunging into the darkest and deepest abyss, where her life force is extinguished. A moment later, a sort of rebirth, a smile and tears of joy in seeing her son again finally awake and alive.

Her husband outside prayed and hoped for the help of the Lord and of her mother, the baby’s grandmother, an angel of love who had abandoned them for a while, leaving an unbridgeable void.

“The convalescent child” by Beatrice Brandini

In this bad adventure, the most exciting day was when the child, after 15 days in the hospital, of his own free will and with the drip attached and transported by a rod with wheels, got out of bed for the first time and did a very long corridor to reach a window from which he could finally see his father, who remained outside the hospital. She hadn’t seen him since the day of hospitalization, as he had never been able to enter (prevented by the covid), so she wanted to reassure him to tell him that he had made it, the gesture of the hand and an infinite smile were more eloquent than a thousand words.

For Aurora no birthday was like that anymore. Her son was now healed and everything was back to normal. Thinking back to those tragic moments lived with her child, to the story of the other Indian father, everything took on relative importance. Perhaps to understand how lucky we are we have to go through tragic events, perhaps being surrounded by pain, such as the one we live in a children’s hospital, then gives the right weight to all other things. We should already be grateful for what we have, and if life seems boring or not particularly exciting at times, let’s remember who is really suffering.

Good life to everyone !

Beatrice