To Asia, With Love

I've never met her, nor is it likely that I ever will.

She is a ten-year-old girl who is recovering from surgery in Mt. Sinai Hospital here in New York. I know about her because of my commute this morning.

The gentleman sitting next to me was reading when he received the phone call. Asia got her transplant. The operation was a success and her body did not reject.

Asia has needed a transplant since she was eleven months old. That was nine years ago. For nine years, she has had to live a tough and unfair life. If she wanted to go to a friend's house, she couldn't without bringing her "kit" filled with various medicines to take in the event of something happening.

Active play was not an option.

She had always had problems because of this, missing school and the like. Lately, however, the battle worsened. She had to miss school weeks at a time. She couldn't go more than a few days without throwing up. It was at the point where she was even granted a wish from Make-A-Wish Foundation of Connecticut.

And now, it is over.

She will need to recover, and they will be monitoring her from the hospital for a few weeks. But little Asia has been given a new life.

I've never met her, nor is it likely that I will. But she reminded me never to lose sight of one thing.

And that is hope.