Having Hope In Dark Times

Courage and hope is something we all have in our lives so that we can get though difficult times. Three or so years ago my brother was diagnosed with a type two brain tumor, it was a very scary time for me and my family. In August I was at a party with my friends when my dad told me something serious was wrong with my brother. When I got home they had told me he had a brain tumor and he had to go up the children’s hospital the following day. For a while I stayed with my best friend; we’ve been friends since grade one, so her family knew mine pretty well. When I was staying there my step dad came to the door and talked to her mom about what was going on. He told her that my brother may not be the same, he could become a vegetable and not be able to do anything. This made me really freaked out, but I hoped and prayed that everything would be okay. I got support from every one around me, mostly my grandparents and my friends. The night before the surgery my dad's friend  brought my brother his favorite food to make him feel loved and hopeful that everything would turn out well. The next day in the waiting room we waited in anticipation for hours to find out how it went. The surgeons came out from the ICU and told every one the good news. We went and saw him later, he was laying there with tubes and wires all over him, his head was shaved with a huge bandage around it.  When I looked at him it didn’t look like my brother anymore; I started to tear up, so I walked away. I didn’t want my parents to see me this sad, and I wanted to be strong and hopeful for everyone. A week later he was able to come home.  I remember him telling me it was one of the worst times of his life. I helped him get through it by doing whatever he wanted. I feel like this gave him happiness and hope for getting better. Eventually he went for radiation treatments, he told me that it made him feel very sick. He would lay awake for all hours of the night trying to sleep, but his wondering and imaginative mind wouldn’t let him. During the school days it would just be me going to school, and I was sad because I liked seeing my brother there. I hoped he would get better soon. Thankfully everything turned out perfectly, he is the same person but better. Before cancer we got along fine, but now we are like best friends.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OIh3nO6-V_A

I choose this song because Dylan told me this song helped him get through the difficult times

-By Jolane Westerson