Our Own World

Chapter One - My Story

When I was born, my mum called me a miracle child. I was two months pre-mature. I stayed in the hospital for months and my parents thought I was going to die. I stopped breathing a few times, the doctors thought I died twice and they told my parents that I would have systematic problems throughout my body for the rest of my life.

I had check ups with my doctors for years and years after I was born. When I turned one, on my birthday, I stopped breathing in the middle of my birthday party. Ambulances came, my whole family freaked out and I was flown to Vancouver for an emergency treatment.

After all that was sorted out, they told my mum that I was probably not going to survived another month, because of all the complications. Well, twelve months went by and I turned two. So the doctors were wrong about that.

When I turned two, my parents learned that my heart was starting to function a little better than usual. I still went for regular check ups with the doctor in Vancouver. It was getting so expensive to constantly be traveling back and forth between our little farm house and Vancouver so we decided to move to Vancouver. It was hard to move from such a small town in the fields to a huge city.

Just after I turned two, my parents became friends with a lady who was in the hospital because her husband was dying of cancer. She introduced me to her son, his name was Ace. I didn't think much of Ace at the time, I honestly just thought we were hospital buddies. We would sit outside the room while Ace's dad was slowly losing his life. Of course, at two years old, we weren't talking a lot yet. One day, Ace's dad passed away and I didn't see Ace for a long time.

Trips to the hospital were made a lot, especially after I turned three. My health continued to decline as I wasn't getting enough oxygen to my brain and even though my heart was getting better, it still wasn't pumping blood fast enough. I had to use a puffer for the first few years of my life. After about a year and a half without seeing my friend Ace, one day, he came to the hospital to see me. I was sick and unconscious at the time but my mum told me he came to visit. His mum, and my mum used to talk a lot, and we even invited them to our church. My parents prayed for Ace's mum because she had just lost her husband. Ace also had a sister named Riley. Luke, my brother, who was five at the time, became good friends with Riley while they were both at the hospital supporting their loved ones. Sometimes, Luke would only come to the hospital to see Riley. I always thought he was there to be with me, but when I look back, he had a major crush on her.

Finally, after four years, my parents received the news that I could be released from the hospital, pretty much for good. They debated leaving Vancouver and heading back to Saskatchewan, but they decided to stay. And I'm sure glad they did.

Every year, I would have to go back to the hospital until I was sixteen. This is the first year I won't have to go back.

Once a year when I would go back to the hospital, I would call Ace. We always used to reminisce from when we were little.

*FLASHBACK*

"Ace," I spoke into my phone.

"Yeah?" He asked.

"Meet me at the hospital?"

"Sure, I'll be there in five." He hung up and my mum and I drove to the hospital.

"Why do I have to keep coming to the hospital mum?" I asked. "There's nothing wrong with me any more, I'm fine."

"I know honey, they just have to do the annual check up. It's your fault for coming out of my tummy too early." She laughed.

"Sorry, mum. Just saying, you could've waited a couple more months to push me out.." I said awkwardly.

"Okay, when you have a baby Camilla, you try being a labour and thinking 'Oh, I'd love to keep this baby inside me for two more months.' See how pleasant that will be."