When I was born I got really sick, so sick that Im lucky to be alive. Two days after my birth I started to run a fever of over 100 degrees, my parents noticed I was having trouble breathing and wasnt moving much. So without hesitation they brought me to the hospital, once there they hooked me up to an IV and oxygen. They took blood tests, x-rays of my chest and a spinal tap. They treated me with antibiotics before they knew what exactly was wrong with me, which I feel ultimately saved my life. They found later on that I had infection in my blood called Neonatal Sepsis that happens to infants in the first few days of being born. It is caused by bacteria, a baby may come in contact with during pregnancy, birth, or from the environment after birth. Neonatal Sepsis is a leading cause of infant death. This was in 1987, the studies on this infection werent very strong at this time, they usually diagnosed infants when it was already to late. As I was only a few days old I dont remember any of this, but I do feel it ever since I was told what had happened. The image of little of me having to to withstand something like that and the image of my parents and grandparents having to see me like that is difficult. I was fighting for my life before I even knew what life was. We can look back and ask, Why me? Or we can look back and say, You give em hell kid and you never let yourself forget. It reminds me of how precious life is, how easy it can be taken away, but how lucky we are to have it. There are 84,600 seconds in each day and I am grateful for each and every one of them. The moment when you feel like all hope is lost, that is the moment that will change your life. That is the moment where you will decide to be strong and carry on. That will be the moment you return to when you need strength and it will carry you through. I look back on that, the beginning of my existence, to gain strength from, to be reminded of how lucky I am. - Eric Allen
Posted on: Thu, 08 Jan 2015 16:34:13 +0000
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