Sitting on the edge of the sterile examination table, Sophia Vincente underwent a test to determine the cause of her illness. Dr. Fernandez, with his brow furrowed, examined the chart in his hands. For the first time in years, Sophia felt small and unimportant as the weight of his eyes weighed down on her.
"Mrs. Vincente," Dr. Fernandez said, his voice steady but with an unspoken hint of something else, "the test results are in."
Sophia felt her heart tighten in her chest. As her mind whirled through a thousand possibilities, none of which were good, her breath caught in her throat. For months now, she had been going back and forth between doctor's offices due to a combination of fatigue, nausea, and swelling. Nobody was able to respond to her. Nobody was able to identify the issue.
She held on to the edge of the table even tighter, and the fear inside her was raw. She asked, "What's wrong with me?" in a voice that was barely above a whisper.
Dr. Fernandez let out a long sigh, as if he had just heard bad news. "Mrs. Vincente, you have a rare kidney disease." It is known as Alport Syndrome. "It's genetic, it gets worse over time, and it's already at an advanced stage."
The words struck her like a blow to the body. Alport Syndrome. The information was difficult for her mind to process, and the words were jumbled. kidney illness. progressive. sophisticated. She was briefly unable to breathe as the room whirled. She was unable to comprehend how she could be experiencing this. How could her life now be like this?
The doctor kept talking, but his words were hard to hear, as if they were coming from a long way away from where she was sitting, trying to keep her cool.
"The disease is making your kidneys stop working." Things will only get worse without a transplant. We are thinking about using dialysis as a short-term fix, but what you really need is a donor.
Sophia felt the blood leave her face. A person who gives. It sounded like a death sentence, but it was really a desperate plea for help. A person who gives. Her body wouldn't listen and fought back. She couldn't understand it. She didn't know what to say. How could she even begin to understand what was going on with her?
She said the word "donor" again, and it sounded strange in her mouth.
Dr. Fernandez nodded. "Yes." But it's not easy. You need a very specific kind of donor. "Not everyone can be a match."
Sophia blinked, and finally her thoughts broke through the fog of fear. "You mean my family?"
He said, "Yes," in a softer tone now, as if he could sense the pressure of the circumstance bearing down on her. As I mentioned earlier, this is a rare disease, but we will start looking for a possible match. Your family might not be a good fit. More testing will be necessary to determine whether anyone can assist.
Sophia's breath caught. The doctor's words kept coming back to her, like a nightmare she couldn't wake up from. A disease that doesn't happen very often. A match that doesn't happen very often. There was no way to be sure. Nothing but doubt.
Her mind raced with images of her family, including her husband Marco and her kids Isabella and Luca. The idea of them seeing her in this state made her heart hurt. observing her fracture. They had always relied on her because she was the strong one. It was she who needed to be saved now.
Her vision got blurry again, this time because she was about to cry. She closed her eyes tightly and tried to push them away, but they just came harder and faster.
After giving her a moment to collect herself, Dr. Fernandez resumed his conversation in a gentle yet firm tone. I understand that this is too much to handle, Mrs. Vincente. I need you to know that there is hope, even though I cannot guarantee you an easy journey ahead. Hope never dies. We will fight this, and we will find a donor. But you must move quickly. It will be more difficult the longer we wait.
Although Sophia nodded, the words sounded hollow. I hope. Quick. When everything seemed to be falling apart around her, how could she maintain hope? With no idea where to start, how could she combat this illness?
Her heart was pounding and her head was spinning. The precious seconds were slipping through her fingers, and she could feel the weight of time passing. However, what was she able to do? How could anyone help?
The doctor's eyes were distant but kind as he handed her a pamphlet. "My office will get in touch with you to discuss the next steps. The donor screening procedure will start right away. Please make every effort to get as much rest as you can, and don't be afraid to ask for help when you need it.
Sophia accepted the pamphlet, but she almost dropped it because her hands were shaking so much. She made an effort to smile, but it felt like a mask she was losing.
She stood up and said, "Thank you," in a voice that cracked. "I'm grateful."
The overwhelming weight of it all overtook her as soon as she left the office. The responsibility, the uncertainty, and the fear. She had always been the one who held everything together and carried it all. However, this was just too much.
The sun outside suddenly blinded her as she walked to the car. The tears she had suppressed burst out, hot and unrelenting, as she slid into the driver's seat. She was powerless to stop them. She was no longer able to fight them.
With trembling hands, she took out her phone and dialed Marco's number. Then, through the line, his voice crackled. "Sophia? What is the matter?"
Her voice cracked. "Marco... Kidney disease affects me. I require a donor. Someone must come to my rescue.
Her entire world fell apart when she heard those words.