Cleopatra’s Deadline

Cleopatra’s Deadline

A glance to the other side of progeria victim

Deadline. Cherish every line of Death.   

Each one of us has deadline to hit. Usually, we look for the most accessible ways just to beat our deadlines. We also loan copious rush hours, sleepless nights, bad eating habit and the likes, just act in accordance with the suggested date. But every thought regarding the aforesaid word suddenly change as I met one girl who named Rochelle.

Yes, I met Ana Rochelle O. Pondare personally, but I couldn’t be able neither to touch her face nor to ask her true condition. Contradictory with the fact, that I just witnessed her story on one of my favorite documentary TV shows---the I-Witness. As I watched her gloomy chronicle, I felt that there was element pinching on my chest. Knocking out and murmur something. But I ignored that sensation because I was shocked with what I’ve found out with this young girl. I focused my attention to her as looks like nothing can disturb me.

Rochelle, a 9 year-old girl, diagnosed with a rare genetic condition called Progeria wherein symptoms resembling aspects of aging are manifested at an early age. According to medical specialist who checked Rochelle, those born with progeria typically live to their mid teens and early twenties. Children with this condition also suffered assorted impediments such as failure to thrive and a localized scleroderma-like skin condition and full-body alopecia. Signs and symptoms of this progressive disease tend to get worse as the child ages. Later, the condition causes wrinkled skin, atherosclerosis and kidney failure, loss of eyesight, hair loss, and cardiovascular problems.

I couldn’t imagine at that young age, she was experiencing those complications without acquiescence.

But despite of her serious situation, Rochelle remains a cheerful girl. She loves playing. As what normal children did, Rochelle also fancy to sing and to dance. She wants to become an artist someday, thus she wears different fashionable attires. Even though she looks old, covered with wrinkled-tone skin, her innocence still lingers as seen on her smile.

Then, a realization was formulated on my mind…

I tried to put my feet on her place and hoping that there’s still possible solution or even remedy. But the pinching on my chest became harder as the doctor said: NO TREATMENT HAVE BEEN PROVEN EFFECTIVE.

That statement unexpectedly enthralled my disposition. All of my questions were sink in to me. She will not be fine. She is not curable. She will die early…so early.

I cried so scores of time. I didn’t know why I undergone that certain kind of emotion. Now, the murmur that I disregarded from the very start turned out to be clear.

“You’re so blessed”- this is what HE’s trying to entail to me and this is a whisper that I ignored for so long of time.

That girl also opened another door for inspiration. She gave me a brainwave to keep on fine-looking in whatever situation I’m confronting for, even on the worst edge.  Rochelle stays beautiful and she will remain beautiful until her name sculpted on a marble. – Well, this kind of appearance that is usually absent to many hailed pretty girls in the society.

            In contrary with the curious case of Benjamin Button wherein his aging scheme happened in a reverse process. He was born with the physical appearance of a 70-year-old man downward to infancy stage--- the moment when his memory fades away to darkness.

Life became lifeless if you don’t strive to be something remarkable. Life is not about on the quantity of memories, but it’s how you spent it with quality and holy deeds.    

Probably, Rochelle has also a deadline. The only difference is she’s not hurrying to meet that. Maybe, she’s afraid to see that day or she just depends on the actuality that she couldn’t able to do anything to extend her cut-off date. But in your case, you’ve lot of chances. Use those chances to paint meaningful life, to inspire other people and to prove that the word Life truly exists.

You’re blessed. Live your life as like no limit, like no depressing deadlines.