A 12-year-old girl with an extremely enormous tummy was sent to the emergency hospital. The physicians initially suspected stomach problems or maybe a tumor. However, following the ultrasound, a heavy quiet descended over the room. What they saw caused them to freeze. There was no regular pregnancy or tumor inside, just a dying flicker of life.<\/p>\n
Her name was Kira. Quiet, skinny, and pale, she had large blue eyes and hands that were continually clutching her tummy. She was admitted to the hospital in the late evening. Her mother was crying and saying the same thing.<\/p>\n
\u2013 I assumed it was just bloating. Gas\u2026 But she screamed in pain at night and curled up into a ball. And now she can\u2019t even stand up.
\nWhen Kira was six years old, her father abandoned her. Her mother worked as a cleaner in a shopping center, doing everything she could to provide for her daughter. They lived in poverty, yet they loved one another. No one suspected the girl was in anguish behind her grin. She persevered. She did not want to anger her mother. She believed it will pass. She sipped water and starved to keep the situation from worsening.<\/p>\n
When they put her on the bed, she couldn\u2019t extend her legs because the skin on her stomach was stretched like an eardrum. The doctors were in a hurry: tests, IVs, and exams. An ultrasound revealed a significant amount of fluid in the abdominal cavity. Initially, doctors suspected internal hemorrhage. However, the blood was clean. The surgeon summoned an oncologist. The oncologist is a gastroenterologist. The gastroenterologist is an infectious disease specialist.<\/p>\n
The diagnosis was unusual and frightening: intestinal lymphangiectasia. A illness in which lymphatic veins dilate and fluid builds up in the abdominal cavity. Pain, tiredness, and the risk of mortality can all be misdiagnosed as a \u201cbad stomach\u201d for years.<\/p>\n
An older doctor with compassionate eyes and gray hair calmly told the mother:<\/p>\n
\u2013 Your daughter is amazingly holding on. Her body has been fighting for several months. She requires an urgent puncture, therapy, and support. You must be present. She cannot cope without you.<\/p>\n
Mom did not leave the room for a single minute. Kira awoke with a damp forehead, slowly opened her eyes, and whispered:<\/p>\n
\u2013 Mommy. I do not want to di:e\u2026 I have not completed watching my favorite series yet\u2026
\nThe treatment was prolonged and painful. More than three liters of fluid were pumped from the abdominal cavity. Each movement was terrible. Each injection was like a test. But Kira didn\u2019t weep. Once, when her mother handed her a teddy bear with a delicate bandage on her stomach, tears welled up in her eyes:<\/p>\n
\u2013 Will he be sick with me?<\/p>\n
After two weeks, everything improved. The physicians claimed they had never seen such infantile courage. The nurse, always severe and silent, brought her a warm blanket and whispered:<\/p>\n
\u2013 You are like an angel. Just don\u2019t leave, okay?<\/p>\n
Kira\u2019s story immediately circulated throughout the whole floor. Other children were told about Kira\u2019s fighting style. You can do it, too.<\/p>\n