The winter months are a common time for illnesses to strike. Another common practice is delaying medical care, particularly when coughing is the only symptom.
Everyone has had the experience of getting sick, struggling to recover, and eventually recovering from it.
To at least get advice from a medical helpline if you have prolonged illness and persistent symptoms would be a good idea.
While it’s true that your body can frequently fight off the flu and cold without medical assistance, there are times when the cough you’re experiencing can be brought on by something much more dangerous than a simple virus.
16-year-old Shayla Mitchell had a cough that would not go away and didn’t feel right. She thought at first that she might have gotten sinusitis.
But one day, things got so bad that she asked her father, Tom, to take her to the hospital.
The next day after school, he picked up his daughter and drove her to the hospital after he joyfully consented. Even the plan to eat dinner elsewhere was made.
The doctor examined Shayla and then left the room for a moment. Upon his return, he brought a message that would forever alter her life.
Over two-thirds of Shayla’s breasts were engulfed by a massive malignant tumor. She had been miserable for so long and couldn’t stop coughing that one of her lungs had actually collapsed.
Despite the bad news, Shayla and her dad made the choice to have dinner anyway, even though they would inevitably have to eat it at the hospital rather than a restaurant. They were unaware that the 450 following meals would be served at the pediatric oncology unit of Fairfax Hospital.
Shayla was diagnosed with advanced Hodgkin’s lymphoma, and the prognosis was not good.
Tom made the choice to let his daughter know that he would stand by her no matter what. He went to the store and bought one for each of them because he had promised to wear his matching ring every day until Shayla recovered from the illness.
Over the ensuing years, Tom spent countless nights with his daughter as they battled the terrible illness together.
Blood transfusions, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, a heart attack, and countless other tests were all performed on Shayla. But she persisted in her struggle.
This caused Tom to feel uncomfortable.
While holding his daughter’s hair, she cried, laughed, and puked, and he stood bravely by her.
After that, medical professionals came to the conclusion that Shayla was beyond saving. Her body wasn’t responding to the medication, and a bone marrow transplant had failed.
He asked in his letter, “How in the world was I supposed to have this conversation with my darling daughter?” Tom posted the following on the Love What Matters Facebook page.
I once heard a saying that, to me, pretty much sums everything up: “How on earth would I have the courage to tell my daughter that she would die. Can a man be brave while still feeling fear? Only then can he be brave. ”.
“I knew I had to be brave for HER. As unlikely as it may sound, I did have that conversation with her, and it turned out to be the most amazing, lovely, magical, and wonderful conversation I have ever had in my entire life. I sincerely hope you NEVER EVER have to have one like it. ”.
After he finished, Tom’s daughter whispered back, “Am I still brave, Dad?”.
When Tom turned to look at his daughter again, he could see how much pain she was going through. He understood that all this time, she had been fighting for him rather than for her.
Shayla passed away shortly after that. Tom was devastated, but he was confident in one thing: Shayla had fought long and hard; she had kept her word and fought valiantly to the very end.
Please share this story with your Facebook friends in honor of Shayla and all the other children who have died from cancer.
