They call it as ''A Journey of Faith and Healing' but I consider it, as 'a continuous state of war between 'Fear and Hope'. Kathleen Steele, an american woman whose marvelous determination and optimism towards life, makes her, an amazing woman. A lady from Santa Rosa, California who had to quit the post of an executive director of a nonprofit agency in San Mateo County and had to sell the house to get her children's treated for the 'Lyme Disease', had no option left other than believing in herself and the 'God Almighty'.
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Darkness. A small room where rests only fear, but still a feeling of deep hope prevails in one corner of the same room. A pure soul in a body that feels pain, everywhere in and on the body. Skin allergic to light, ears fail to identify own mother's voice. Every joint pains and combing hairs irritates. Dannie, this is what, she prefer being called as, has 'Lyme Disease'.
Away from the home country San Carlos, California, she resides and spends whole of a day and night, in a building which she has not got a chance to see it, atleast from the outside. Doctors and staff at 'NuTech Media World' a stem cell clinic at Green Park Extension, Delhi, hope to deliver and rejuvenate the eternal smile which this girl's face is missing.
A creeping loneliness, desperately trying to grasp her upto a point where she finds herself loosing every single hope. But hope has to win over in any case as her mother, won't let it happen.
Meet this amazing mother Kathleen Steele who had to quit her prestigious post as an executive director of a nonprofit agency in San Mateo County, and had to sell her house to get the treatment of her children done, suffering from Lyme Disease.
May 2005, changed everything that related her children's life. A pipe burst and seepage in the house that spread-ed the mold infection and a tick bite victimized Ari and Dannie making them inhabit lyme disease.
Ari and Dannie lost their social lives. Their long indoor staying schedules caused their social friends to disappear. For many years they received treatment for other falsely identified diseases as many of the symptoms mimicked the other diseases.
The journey took them from California to India.
Hats off to the mother who used to spend, almost whole of her day schedule, in organizing and arranging for the medicines, crossing thousands of dollars a month.
Ari is a very decent, well behaved american who is just twenty four. He is still very passionate about cars. As a normal human being, he too wants to raise children and live a happy life.
Even after the fact he is identified with the Lyme disease, he holds a firm faith that one day his life would become better and will be back on the track. A multitalented young boy who could be seen actively participating in extracurricular stuffs during his childhood school tenures, is very isolated now and away from his social friends.
When I met this family I realized, what a 'heart to heart' connection means . On a coffee, Ari told me his mother too have 'Lyme Disease' but she is more concerned about her children's cures, no matter what its consequences can be, if she does not recieve the treatment.
The chief lady doctor, at the clinic, is very straight forward, in telling about medical consequences of any treatment or procedure, Dannie is going through, so she prefer being direct at talk.
But a mother is a mother. So if tears started wetting Kathleen eyes, it was natural.
I remember when Ari held his mother's hand and pretended to be very strong hearted than her, when doctor said, ''the higher dose of a recently administered dose to Dannie, may keep her at somewhat higher risk of heart problems.''
On this note there was a pin drop silence and it appeared, things were going out of control but again, I must say the God is great, in the sense he chose me,this time to produce my presence before this family.
Suddenly it clicked my mind. I had recently visited 'The Sai Baba' temple, the same morning before I met this family, on the same day. I took out, two spiritual roses from my bag and offered it to mother Kathleen telling her that these roses symbolized my faith in God. Thank God as this could breakup the negative silence and could rejuvenate the hope once again as I could see it, in her eyes. She rushed with roses to keep those, at Dannie's bed corner side.
She didn't want to delay a second.
Ari's body is doing well but on Dannie's counterpart this stem cell therapy seems complicated.
Even after the numerous side effects, doctors at clinic are enthusiastically optimistic as they say she will definitely improve.
It cannot be, only a mere fact of coincidence if I say God has chosen India, to be included as a very important chapter in their lives. Again it seems as if the God has signaled that he is looking after this family, by coinciding Kathleen's birthday with his 'Easter Sunday' a day that symbolized the return or resurrection of God Jesus.
Spirituality is the best gift which our country can offer to this family so I am trying my best to connect and in case it is perfectly blended with prayers, then I feel each warrior of this family shall win over fear of anything to everything.
Ari's second phase of treatment has started and Dannie's treatment has just begun. Dannie is showing little signs of improvements but at a very slow rate.
I have a firm faith , we all including me, Ari, Dannie and Kathleen will be able to meet over a coffee soon, in next incoming months and this struggling phase in their life will be over soon .
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............................................................................................................................................................................................
Darkness. A small room where rests only fear, but still a feeling of deep hope prevails in one corner of the same room. A pure soul in a body that feels pain, everywhere in and on the body. Skin allergic to light, ears fail to identify own mother's voice. Every joint pains and combing hairs irritates. Dannie, this is what, she prefer being called as, has 'Lyme Disease'.
Away from the home country San Carlos, California, she resides and spends whole of a day and night, in a building which she has not got a chance to see it, atleast from the outside. Doctors and staff at 'NuTech Media World' a stem cell clinic at Green Park Extension, Delhi, hope to deliver and rejuvenate the eternal smile which this girl's face is missing.
A creeping loneliness, desperately trying to grasp her upto a point where she finds herself loosing every single hope. But hope has to win over in any case as her mother, won't let it happen.
Meet this amazing mother Kathleen Steele who had to quit her prestigious post as an executive director of a nonprofit agency in San Mateo County, and had to sell her house to get the treatment of her children done, suffering from Lyme Disease.
May 2005, changed everything that related her children's life. A pipe burst and seepage in the house that spread-ed the mold infection and a tick bite victimized Ari and Dannie making them inhabit lyme disease.
Ari and Dannie lost their social lives. Their long indoor staying schedules caused their social friends to disappear. For many years they received treatment for other falsely identified diseases as many of the symptoms mimicked the other diseases.
The journey took them from California to India.
Hats off to the mother who used to spend, almost whole of her day schedule, in organizing and arranging for the medicines, crossing thousands of dollars a month.
Ari is a very decent, well behaved american who is just twenty four. He is still very passionate about cars. As a normal human being, he too wants to raise children and live a happy life.
Even after the fact he is identified with the Lyme disease, he holds a firm faith that one day his life would become better and will be back on the track. A multitalented young boy who could be seen actively participating in extracurricular stuffs during his childhood school tenures, is very isolated now and away from his social friends.
When I met this family I realized, what a 'heart to heart' connection means . On a coffee, Ari told me his mother too have 'Lyme Disease' but she is more concerned about her children's cures, no matter what its consequences can be, if she does not recieve the treatment.
The chief lady doctor, at the clinic, is very straight forward, in telling about medical consequences of any treatment or procedure, Dannie is going through, so she prefer being direct at talk.
But a mother is a mother. So if tears started wetting Kathleen eyes, it was natural.
I remember when Ari held his mother's hand and pretended to be very strong hearted than her, when doctor said, ''the higher dose of a recently administered dose to Dannie, may keep her at somewhat higher risk of heart problems.''
On this note there was a pin drop silence and it appeared, things were going out of control but again, I must say the God is great, in the sense he chose me,this time to produce my presence before this family.
Suddenly it clicked my mind. I had recently visited 'The Sai Baba' temple, the same morning before I met this family, on the same day. I took out, two spiritual roses from my bag and offered it to mother Kathleen telling her that these roses symbolized my faith in God. Thank God as this could breakup the negative silence and could rejuvenate the hope once again as I could see it, in her eyes. She rushed with roses to keep those, at Dannie's bed corner side.
She didn't want to delay a second.
Ari's body is doing well but on Dannie's counterpart this stem cell therapy seems complicated.
Even after the numerous side effects, doctors at clinic are enthusiastically optimistic as they say she will definitely improve.
It cannot be, only a mere fact of coincidence if I say God has chosen India, to be included as a very important chapter in their lives. Again it seems as if the God has signaled that he is looking after this family, by coinciding Kathleen's birthday with his 'Easter Sunday' a day that symbolized the return or resurrection of God Jesus.
Spirituality is the best gift which our country can offer to this family so I am trying my best to connect and in case it is perfectly blended with prayers, then I feel each warrior of this family shall win over fear of anything to everything.
Ari's second phase of treatment has started and Dannie's treatment has just begun. Dannie is showing little signs of improvements but at a very slow rate.
I have a firm faith , we all including me, Ari, Dannie and Kathleen will be able to meet over a coffee soon, in next incoming months and this struggling phase in their life will be over soon .
..................................................................................................................................................
"God plans everything, decide events, allow people to meet at random and believe me he sets all these coincidences to prove that he exists and hence,' hope and faith' has to win over any kind of fear, no matter , if it takes longer to heal but it has to heal."
I totally agree that it is he who plans everything...but there is a reason for everything he does and discovering it leads to a phenomenon called "life"......Himanshi Kapoor
ReplyDeletethanks for your comments dear friend...
ReplyDeleteThanks dear friend for your writing! It had completely changed my opinion about "American mother". I always trust that all great pains has a priceless result. Almighty planned to give Ari, Dannie and Kathleen something great so he puts them in this test...
ReplyDeletethanks mister for your comments...
ReplyDeleteIt shows that mothers all around the world are same.Their care and love cannot be replaced with anything around the word.Reminded me of struggle and hardship which my mother has taken to build a comfortable life for me.Its Commendable that they don't ask any think in return .Sometimes we wanted to do so much but cant change things....
ReplyDelete