A Story of Life

I want to share a story of life that changed my mind and thoughts completely.

My sister is the person who most inspired me and helped me learn what life is all about. She taught me to love life. On September 17, 1973, my sister, Gina, was born without complications. She weighed 7 pounds and was 21 inches in length. My parents were happy because my sister seemed to be a normal, healthy little girl. However, her health changed when she was two years old. She started getting tired when she walked; she fell to the ground each time she tried to run, and she began to lose strength in her muscles. Immediately, my parents knew that something was wrong with her legs, and they took her to the best doctors in Colombia. The doctors did several tests to determine the type of illness from which she was suffering. They told my parents that she had Muscular Dystrophy, a group of disorders that involve muscle weakness and loss of muscle tissue and get worse over time, and she would die by the age of fifteen.

When my sister was diagnosed with Muscular Dystrophy, my family became worried. A physician had informed us that she would need special care for the rest of her life, and he also said, “Over the years, her body will deteriorate until she loses all movement.” After that terrible day, everything changed in our lives. My parents’ attention and love was only for my sister. I still remember that I felt jealous; however, I did not blame them. She was a sweet girl who everyone enjoyed being around. Despite her walking limitations, she was able to finish elementary school with excellent grades. Also, she graduated as a cosmetologist.

There was one thing I regret while in school, and it was that I felt ashamed of her. The idea of not having a “normal” sister to play with bothered me. I must admit that, at first, I was filled with a great deal of uncertainty as to how it saddened me to see the ignorance I once displayed. I was very immature to think that having a special sister is something that I had to be embarrassed about. We began to spend more time together, and our relationship become closer. Then, I learned that having a special sister was not something shameful.  Now, my sister is 40 years old, and she is married with a wonderful men. She is in a wheelchair and requires a lot of help and attention, but she still can function because of skillful doctors but also because of her amazing positive attitude. She is a natural motivator who always teaches the value of life. I am very blessed to live with her and learn every day the importance of life.

Thinking back, I took everything in daily life for granted. I never even thought about being able to do things like walk, brush my teeth, or go to the bathroom on my own. Now, I see how lucky I am to be able to do these things independently. I learned from my sister that every day I have a choice to live life to the fullest, and there are no obstacles that will stop me to achieve my dreams.