Thank You to My Heart and Lungs for Giving Me the Motivation I Have Today

Dear Heart and Lungs,

I would just like to thank you. I know “thank you” isn’t what you were expecting to hear, but I honestly do mean it in a positive way.

It wasn’t the best start in life, but even though I was eight weeks premature, you were ready to fight even before you were meant to. Thank you for being prepared because not many people were! If you weren’t ready when I was born, it could have been a lot worse, but luckily you have been on my side every step of the way, even if there have been challenges.

That big chest infection in June 1997 — I suppose that was actually quite a good thing. I mean, I know it was hard for the lungs (or lung!) to keep working, but looking back at it now, I think you truly saved me. Imagine if I didn’t have the chest infection, Scimitar syndrome might not have actually been diagnosed, and I may have not known for a long time what was going on. That would have been extremely scary. Don’t get me wrong, the chest infection was a lot of hassle for my mom and dad and all of the doctors involved, and it would be a whole lot easier if I didn’t have Scimitar syndrome. But as I do have the condition, thank you for bringing it to our attention.

I’m not going to lie: Having one functioning lung can be rather annoying at times, but hey, it’s better to have one lung rather than nothing. But on a serious note, sport is something I do enjoy. I just have to work a little bit harder and be more aware of how I’m feeling.

I ran cross-country at school, and that was honestly one of the hardest things I did in life. Then in July 2013, I went to Morocco to climb up the Rif Mountains (yes, I really did!) with some people from my secondary school. It was an amazing experience, and I would like to thank you, heart and lungs, for allowing me to do this. I was literally on the same level as the clouds, and it’s something I will never forget. This really was the hardest thing I have done, but I was so proud after I achieved it. You did a good job during those two weeks; I know fighting the heat isn’t something you like to do, too.

You have given me the motivation I have today.

I’m involved in some health campaigns and had some great opportunities I would have never imagined if you actually behaved yourselves. So in that respect, thank you! After my degree, I want to become a hospital play therapist, since I’ve learned so much from you, my doctors and others around me. Thank you for teaching me.

You have kept me going even if I did enter the world early, but that hasn’t stopped me!

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