By: Charmaine Johnson

I used to be scared of a lot of things, like going to the doctor or being in a hospital. My fear came from having an operation as a child and from losing my mom to cancer. That fear stayed with me for a long time.

Then one day I fell, and I couldn’t get up. I was on the floor for ten hours and couldn’t move or call for help. My workplace noticed that I didn’t come in, so they contacted my trustee, who came over and called an ambulance. At the hospital, I found out that I had broken my femur.

That was when everything changed in my life.

At the hospital, I needed surgery. Because I had fluid on my lungs, I couldn’t have any anesthetic. I had to be awake during surgery, and I had no choice.

I had to trust my surgeon and the whole medical team. They gave me oxygen, and two nurses had to hold me down during the operation. They treated me with respect and kindness, and they fixed my femur.

This taught me how to deal with hard things in my life. I learned how to trust doctors. I also learned to speak up for myself and set boundaries. You see, when I lived with my parents, I felt I couldn’t speak up because I would get in trouble if I did. I learned that I can face scary things and come out stronger.

I feel like I can do anything now. The next big thing is to get my eyes fixed, and I might need surgery for that. Because of what I went through, I know that when life knocks you down, you can get back up.

I can do anything now.