Aaliyah’s Journey PART TWO
Despite Sickle Cell Disease, Aaliyah had a normal childhood for the most part. She could be a kid and allowed to live life as normally as possible. Aaliyah was a very motherly child. She enjoyed taking care of her baby brother Micah and that would continue for the remainder of her life. Aaliyah was a child with a big personality! She was inquisitive, intelligent, daring, had an infectious smile, and never met a stranger whether young or old. She made a lasting impression on everyone she met. As I write this, I smile but tear up as well. I knew paying tribute to my child would not be easy, but I was determined to get it done. I am filled with so many joyous memories, but I also remember the difficult memories just as much. Aaliyah from birth to 18 years of age. Aaliyah participated in all kinds of activities from swimming, acting at Theater Arlington, cheerleading, Mesmerizing Ladies Step Team, dance lessons, and manager for L.D. Bell Raiderettes.
We were a team and entered each battle against Sickle Cell prepared to win. We almost lost Aaliyah on three separate occasions and those times would test our strength and faith. Aaliyah truly believed “you only live once”, and live is what she did. The last two years of her life were extremely difficult, and Aaliyah required counseling as she came to terms with the thought of having to live the rest of her life in constant pain. I know people do not understand the magnitude of the disease and the toll that it physically, mentally, and financially it takes on the family. The pain that a Sickler experiences is equivalent to that of a bone cancer patient. Aaliyah struggled and she and I began to argue more.
Aaliyah was angry that she had Sickle Cell and she took that anger out on me. Lord knows that I would give anything to be able to argue with her about weaved hair, her $20 a day lunch habit, or enjoy our special time that we spent together lying in bed watching TV. Our favorite shows to watch were “Say Yes to the Dress”, “Chopped”, “Four Weddings”, and “Orange is the New Black”. We would talk about her wedding, the fact that we would go to Boston to buy her dress, the place to buy flowers, the kind of food, and especially the type of man she would marry. She knew what kind of man she did not want to marry just let me say that!
During Aaliyah’s senior year of high school, she seriously started talking about a STEM Cell Transplant. This would be the most difficult battle that she, we, and our family would ever face. Aaliyah went through a battery of tests for months and we finally received the word that she would be a good candidate. Aaliyah’s therapist began to focus on her upcoming procedure and what it would mean for her life. Helen, her therapist, told me that Aaliyah’s focus was not herself but how we would go on if something were to happen to her. One day on the drive back from the hospital, Aaliyah stated that we needed to talk and that I needed to listen. She talked about the possibility of her not surviving and what that would mean to our family. I immediately began to cry because no one wants to think of their child dying. But Aaliyah wanted me to be prepared, able to make informed decisions, and most importantly to carry out her wishes. She insisted that I prepare myself just in case.
Aaliyah entered the hospital on September 13, 2013, to begin her journey to healing. I read somewhere that a warrior is someone who fights and survives. A warrior to me are those individuals that fight, suffer, endure, survive, or even fall in battle. A warrior fights until the bitter end and that is what my baby is. She is the epitome of a warrior because she fought until the very end. She maintained her sense of humor in the beginning but has things got harder it became more difficult for her laugh and smile.