Go, Dana, go!

By Emmanuelle

Nowadays, the churches are seldom empty. People look up to heaven more. Eyes closed and hands clasped in fervent plea, they pray for the strength to persevere. For the simple daily miracle of finding resources within and without themselves. Most of all, for the safety of their loved ones. That they may withstand and eventually survive these difficult times.

But what if a mother’s prayer is for her child to die faster, to go? The following is too true a story.

Jovi is a Filipina who lived almost all of her adult life in one of the islands of Hawaii. She is slim and so tanned from the sun for her workplace is right there along the beach. She is also unbelievably beautiful with those gentle doe-eyes set off by her magnificently-carved cheekbones. She had been married and divorced. Four wonderful carbon-copies are reminders that that part of her life was not a total waste after all.

At seventeen, Dana her youngest was diagnosed with lupus. What is lupus? Lupus is sometimes referred to as systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). It is an autoimmune disease, one that takes on several forms and can affect any part of the body, but most commonly attacks the skin, joints, the heart, lungs, blood, kidneys and brain.

Autoimmune diseases are characterized by a malfunction of the immune system in which the immune system cannot distinguish between the body’s own cells and tissues and that of foreign matter, like viruses. Rather than simply producing antibodies to attack antigens (viruses, bacteria and similar foreign matter), the immune system creates auto-antibodies that attack the immune system itself.

When this happens, victims can suffer inflammation (the primary feature of lupus), pain, and tissue damage. Inflammation in and of itself can cause pain, heat, redness, swelling and loss of function, either internally (certain organs) or externally (primarily the skin) or both.

For some patients who are mildly afflicted, the symptoms of lupus can be managed as a chronic illness. However, the disease can be quite serious and even life threatening for others. There is no cure for lupus, though symptoms can be treated with drugs such as corticosteroids and immunosuppressant. Also, the disease does not follow a common path. Lupus patients often suffer unpredictable bouts of the disease (flares) followed by periods of remission.

To Dana, the hospital became a second home, and the nurses her newly-found best friends. At 21, Dana was rushed to the hospital. Her nurse told Jovi her daughter was dying, and that she should be told. Jovi told the nurse to tell Dana herself. When the nurse told Dana that this bout made her weaker and she might die from it, Dana answered “I know I am dying, but who will take care of Mama?”

Then she was comatose. While watching over her, Jovi saw this vision. Four to five rows of angels surrounded Dana’s hospital bed. Hands clasped, heads bent, they seemed to be praying over her. Then, the vision changed. Two angels looming, taller than the room itself, were praying over her, one at the head and the other at the foot of the bed. Jovi believed these must be archangels!

Dana will survive this episode. And will survive through two more.

(To be continued next week.)

Back to Homepage

Share your Comments or Reactions

comments

Powered by Facebook Comments