A child dying will grab anyone’s attention, no matter the circumstances. It’s not to say that adults are less important but there’s just a definitive difference.
In the Hydro community I know it affects each and every one of us, without a doubt. I find that it affects me (personally) in more ways than one. When I read a post containing the words: “A little Angel just got (their) wings”, it disturbs me to no end…more so when it’s due to the condition. My heart breaks for these parents who I wish I could just hold in a tight embrace…because I have nothing else to offer…
Putting aside the fact that anyone, at any time can die…this is the obvious part, which I understand and accept (knowing fully that death is a part of life). However, we have those among us who have told me “Hydro is not as bad as you make it out to be” or “It’s technically not brain surgery”. Whether this is true or not, it’s a topic of debate for another day (And, quite frankly, one I don’t have the appetite for). Also, their reasons for this will remain their own, I respect that – to each his/her own.
I will however say this, I struggle a bit with these statements when there are clearly some in the Hydro community who are experiencing the effects of the condition much worse than others. It doesn’t mean we should minimise the condition in any way just because we have it a little “easier”. And, there will always be other conditions/diseases which are more serious or challenging to live with.
We can question, we can get angry and say “It shouldn’t be happening in today’s day and age” where a child dies due to Hydrocephalus. But sadly…that won’t change a thing. Because, somewhere, someone is mourning the loss of their loved one and at the same time, someone is fearing they’ll suffer the same fate. Death is never easy, no matter the circumstances. And, we all deal with it differently…
One thing I can share is how it warms my heart to see us all pull together, reach out and empathise with the loss of “one of our own”. Words like “Fly high…no more pain and suffering for you” ring true to the extent of full understanding. We know and understand that physical pain, we get what it means to be free from the effects of the condition…we truly get it.
Hydrocephalus: It turns strangers into friends, some even closer than our own blood relatives. But more so, the condition we have in common, experienced differently by all, provides an understanding and breeds empathy beyond all human expectation. (Something this world needs a little more of). It’s symbolic in a world where no matter who or what you are, someone will feel the pangs of your loss to the world.
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