2021 · All

I Tried So Hard Not To. But I did.

"not to. I wasn’t staying here. This is temporary! I’ll get better and get out of here is no time. I still didn’t want to think about the whole needing a new heart to do be able to leave thing. My mom would ask me if I wanted my favourite bear or anything from home. I refused. I didn’t want any of my favourite things to be tainted by this place or this room. Or worse, there was a very real risk of getting blood on it. My mom brought me some new pjs so I wouldn’t have to wear the hospital gowns. I could be a bit comfortable at least. Though my doctor would later joke about them being shipped in from Paris, hospital gowns are certainly not built for comfort. So, I started to concede to things like that. “It would be nice to have a blanket”. " Keep Reading -->

2021 · All

Home

by Emily Bradley There are at least 12 different ways to make a grilled cheese sandwich. The right way involves taking two pieces of white Wonder Bread, slathering them with margarine on one side, slapping a piece of Kraft Singles cheese between them, throwing them into a non-stick frying pan, and flipping until golden brown… Continue reading Home

2021 · All

Moving On Up! Regrettably

There it was. My new room. This one had windows. Big windows. It had a bathroom. More importantly a bathroom I was now able to use by myself! They had packed me up and moved me out of the ICU. I had been in the basement for almost two weeks. Now I was on the… Continue reading Moving On Up! Regrettably

2021 · All

Dad’s Journal

Written by Mike Bradley Intro by Laura I remember it wasn’t long before I started missing important dates. My end of year school trip date came and went. I was missing exams too. But the first really important date I missed was Father’s Day. It was the first in a long summer filled with holidays… Continue reading Dad’s Journal

2021 · All

No Thank You, Sir, I’m Going Home

A few days had passed, I think. I’ve never been very good with time. I was still waiting to find out when I’d get to go home. I was starting to get stronger. I figured that’s all I needed to do. Get better, go home. This is just a serious but minor setback. That wasn’t… Continue reading No Thank You, Sir, I’m Going Home

2021 · All

“I’m only thirteen!”

I have this memory that I don’t understand. It was like a dream, but it felt so real. I was on a hospital gurney surrounded by faces I didn’t recognize. It was as if I had just woken up and all these people were buzzing around me. They were rushing so fast it felt like… Continue reading “I’m only thirteen!”

2021 · All

I Remember the Moment My Heart Broke

In the days leading up to my end of the year dance show, I no longer felt like myself. The first thing I noticed was that I couldn’t sleep. I would try to arrange my bed and rearrange my bed. I’d add pillows and then remove them. I was constantly struggling to find a position… Continue reading I Remember the Moment My Heart Broke

2021 · All

The Climb

It was a dark and stormy night!... lol no it wasn’t. Should it have been? I mean it was a sad hard day, but it was beautiful outside. It was sunny and bright. And sad and hard. It was all of those. There were no storms. In fact, over the 5 months, I can’t remember… Continue reading The Climb