The Kindness Of Strangers: A Nurse Saw Me Crying And Asked If I Wanted A Hug

In 2024, I was unexpectedly diagnosed pinch leukaemia. I was 34. I had nary symptoms (none!) and it came astatine nan worst imaginable time, though location is ne'er a bully time.

I americium a musician and was 1 week distant from flying to New Zealand to beryllium successful a show. I was highly excited astir nan show and, to beryllium organised, I thought I’d get a humor trial to cheque my robust levels earlier I near nan state for 5 weeks.

Six hours aft nan humor test, I sewage a telephone from my expert telling maine that thing was wrong. I was what’s called neutropenic. In layman’s position it meant I had nary immune strategy and I needed to spell to infirmary immediately.

It made nary sense. I had been successful Savers, astatine my nieces’ schoolhouse fete and nan pub nan time before. The expert said to deterioration 2 masks and guidelines extracurricular aliases I mightiness not past an infection – which sounded for illustration a ridiculous overreaction for what I was judge was a mixed-up test. It wasn’t. After entering that infirmary I wouldn’t time off it again for six weeks.

At astir 7pm that nighttime I was told I had crab (who knew they person haematologists successful emergency?). The test was utterly overwhelming. Although my family is amazing, they weren’t adjacent by that night. A friend had travel for a fewer hours to thief construe what nan doctors were saying while I was successful a authorities of shock. But I was unsocial successful my infirmary furniture erstwhile I woke up astir 3am and it each abruptly deed me. All I could deliberation astir was that not only was I not going to New Zealand, but I besides had cancer, and it was going to termination me. It ever seems to termination group successful nan movies – I request you writers to extremity doing that. Lots of america live.

As I was decease spiralling, a caregiver walked past and asked if I was OK. I wasn’t. I conscionable dissolved and, done tears, explained what was happening. He asked if I wanted a hug. I did, and I person ne'er needed 1 much successful my life. His sanction was Ben.

That nighttime was astir apt nan scariest portion of my full clip pinch crab – I’m now successful remission. I ne'er saw Ben again but his sanction stuck pinch maine done nan six weeks successful infirmary and 8 months of chemo. His benignant enactment meant nan world to maine then, and still intends nan world to maine now.

What is nan nicest point a alien has ever done for you?

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