Justin and I on the Caribbean Cruise
I want to share with you a story that will be found in my upcoming book.
“The Ride To Far Away”
The year was 1989 and one family traveled to the distant place of Paris, France. One dad, one mom, one grandma and two sisters embarked upon what would be the trip of a lifetime. When I was four years old we went to Paris for my cord blood transplant. “Why Paris” you ask? Paris had more experience with transplants of this kind and had much higher success rates. I don’t recall much of my families trip to Paris but there is one event that has never escaped my mind. In the US my mom was always with me, she was at every test, and every doctors visit. Of course I was only an infant and in the US it was very common for parents to be with their children 100% of the time.
I’ll never forget when the day had come for me to receive my radiation. This was the day that would determine weather I would be traveling home in a coffin or in the comfort of my moms arms. The radiation treatment was going to take place in a different hospital across town. Mom had made preparations to go with me to receive my treatment. When the morning arrived for us to leave the doctors informed her she would NOT be going with me,and that it was against there protocol.
With this news mom became very upset. She knew that this could be the last time she got to give me a hug and a kiss and tell me she loved me. She knew that this could be the last time she ever saw me alive. With this huge reality sinking in the once invincible woman sat down on the edge of my hospital bed and began to cry. Up to this point in my life I had never seen her cry.
Very early in my life, practically as soon as I could talk, my Grandma J taught me how to pray. She would say “lets talk to Jesus.” We’d get down on our knees, fold our hands and close our eyes. We would pray of happy things, to make every body safe and we would pray for my sisters at home, whom I missed so much.
When mom sat down and began to cry, I didn’t cry and I wasn’t scared. I simply said “Mommy they can keep you from going, but they can never keep Jesus from going and holding my hand.”
Mom didn’t get to go with me that day. And as you already know the radiation was a success. Now I am sitting here today very much enjoying my life! None of this would have been possible without my family and the miracle found inside of Emily’s Cord Blood.
When I was 12 I wrote a poem about this experience.
“The Ride To far Away”
It’s only ten hour away
when the men with the white coats
will come to take me away from my Mommy.
As I watch her cry I try to be a big girl.
I feel sad and I wonder is she trying to tell me goodbye ?
She tells me she can’t go with me
and hold me hand tomorrow when they take me to get that thing
they call radiation.
I listen to her words but all I notice is that sad look on her face.
She tells me they won’t let her go with me
on the ride to far away. She says it will be hard
because the men in the white coats all speak a different way
she says I won’t understand but then I stop her I guess she forgot
“Mommy they can keep you from coming but they can never keep
Jesus from going and holding my hand”
as they rolled me away I felt a big hug
then I heard Mommy say “Jesus take care of my baby”
There is more of this story and many others that can be found in my new upcoming book.
PLEASE let me know what you think!!
You can help raise awareness of cord blood preservation by tweeting on twitter, updating your status on facebook and spreading the word to everyone you know.
Together We CAN Help Save Lives,
Natalie Curry
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