Fighting for a Cure

She was so young, so helpless, so frightened of what was yet to come. As I sat there in the cold hospital examination room, when my little girl received the news that she had caught the devastating Coronavirus, only one thing ran through my mind; my little girl might be dying.

She looked so small and fragile, almost lifeless in that hospital gown. We thought it was just the flu, until she collapsed in the kitchen, struggling to breathe and sweaty from a high fever. My husband and I rushed her to the hospital. I had to carry her in because she was too weak to walk. Looking down at her frail body, lying motionless in her hospital bed, I could barely hear her whisper to me about the fears that she was feeling.

"Mommy, am I going to die?"

"Shhh, don't you worry about that, my love. You can fight this, you are brave and strong."

"Like a Superhero?" Her shallow breathing could not hide that ray of hope in her little eyes.

I gave her an encouraging smile, gently smoothing back her hair from her face like I would normally do to comfort her.

"Yes, exactly like a Superhero."

I gave a small chuckle as a quick thought popped into my head.

"Sweetheart, I'm going to share a secret with you. I had promised never to reveal this to anyone, but I think it's time to know the truth."

My little girl's eyes brightened up a little as curiosity followed with excitement.

"What is it!"

I leaned in a little bit closer, trying to keep a safe distance as to not catch the virus that was taking my little girl away from me.

"Well, if you really want to know, the truth is, you are a Superhero!"

Her eyes went wide with excitement.

"Wow! Really? What's my superpower? Can I fly? Do I have super strength?"

I smoothed her hair back once more. Each time that I touched her soft red hair, I did not fear that I might contract the virus. All I cared about was comforting my little girl.

"Actually, your power is much better than that. You, my love, have the power to cure this world from the pain and suffering that is going on around us."

Her eyes grew a little bit wider.

"Wow! That's so cool! Do I have a Superhero name? Most Superheroes have a secret name to go by."

I was so proud of my little girl in that moment, inspired by her courage and innocence, and that unwavering faith that she was meant for so much more than what was given to her in the short life she was given.

"As a matter of fact, you do have a Superhero name. You, my dear, are the Corona Warrior. You were put on this earth to save us all from this terrible disease."

I looked down upon her tiny face, with her eyes full of sadness, looking like tears were about to spill down her pale cheeks.

"Mommy? I don't know if I am able to do such a thing. I'm just a kid. How can a little kid save the world from this disease?"

I felt a little tug at my heartstrings, and fought back the tears that were starting to form in my eyes.

"You will save us all with your kindness, bravery, and that beautiful heart inside of you. My sweet little girl, don't you fear about what you cannot do. Think only about the love that you so easily share, for love is the best medicine on earth, and your heart is full enough to share that love with everyone around you. And let me tell you one more secret. Love is just as contagious as any kind of sickness. For whenever love has been spread from one person to another, then it continues to spread to everyone else that they come in contact with. And one of the best things about love, is that it can spread quickly and as far as you can possibly imagine, in only a short amount of time. Now, that's one amazing superpower!"

At that moment, that sweet little girl looked up at me with a weak smile on her face.

"Well, it looks like I am a powerful Superhero, then."

"Yes, my love, yes you are."

She was gone only a short few days later, but her courage never faltered, and her love never died.

So many hearts were broken when she passed away, but one of her teachers spoke at her memorial service, and shared something so profound that I knew that my little girl must have been smiling down upon us while she heard it. He spoke of Ancient Egypt, about how the Egyptians had believed that every person died twice. Once, when their physical body had ceased to live, and the second time was when their name was spoken for the last time.  

So, for anyone out there who has lost a loved one, no matter how they may have left us, I urge you never to stop talking about them. I happen to agree with the Ancient Egyptians on this one, because the more we talk and share stories of the people who we have lost, the more we will continue to keep their memory alive.