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A broken heart
Kaylee Keith, Staff Writer
December 12, 2011
Filed under Personalities
Sitting. Waiting. Anticipating. The icy cold hospital room with its sterile smell and deafening silence was not a comforting place for junior Leslie Shen to wait all alone before going into surgery.
Shen was only a young 5 year-old kindergartner when he discovered that he had Mitral-valve Prolapse. This is a heart condition in which the heart valve backs up so that more blood comes out than necessary and therefore, the heart pumps more blood than it should. He was a care-free child without any worries, and then he was bombarded with this news. However, even then he was still an unconcerned little boy.
“I didn’t know how much it would affect me so I didn’t care,” said Shen. “To me, it was just a little problem that wouldn’t really affect me in any way.”
Shen was unaware that his heart condition would prevent him from joining the tennis team or that he would be required to go in for annual check ups to ensure that his heart is still “normal.”
“I don’t get to enjoy the same lifestyle other teenagers do,” said Shen.
Since hearing about his heart condition, Shen has had to endure three surgeries. However, nothing has helped improve it, it still remains . Shen has come to accept that for now, there is nothing that can be done to heal his condition.
“I have gotten used to [my heart condition],” said Shen. “However it still bothers me.”
He must continue on with his life and try to cope with his situation, even thought it can be difficult for him at times. He can not become too excited or angry so he has learned to contain his emotions. He has been forced to handle an unfortunate situation and he does all he can do to make the best of his life.
However, he still fears what could happen in the future, “It can affect my physical and mental health and well being,” said Shen.
Shen might have to get another surgery in the future and who knows where else his heart condition may lead him. He has learned that life is not always easy and that it won’t always be filled with the best of times. Shen still perseveres through all of the rough patches. The situations life brings him only help to build him up and make him stronger and he isn’t going to let his Mitral-valve Prolapse stop him from persuing his dreams.
“It makes me appreciate what I have and I want to make the best of my life,” said Shen.