Today, I'm gonna tell you a short story about mosquitoes.
No, I'm not going to elaborate about the different species of mosquitoes there are in the world...but I'm gonna tell you about how one of them took away the young life of a classmate and friend of mine.
And what I think we can do about it, so that the rest of us can learn and prevent more disease from happening on us or our loved ones.
Meet this girl. She's strong, healthy, intelligent, vocal, and friendly. The way she spoke was just so clear that you'd have no problem understanding what she said. A teacher even mentioned to me that she was a student whom they knew would make the school proud, and that she would have a bright future ahead of her. For a little over half a year, we enjoyed getting to know her and spending good times with her whenever she was around.
But all that changed in the flash of an eye.
About around one and a half month ago, fellow form-six mates and teachers were shocked at the news that she'd been admitted to the hospital for dengue. And not just normal dengue, but it was so serious that during the first few days she was bleeding, and throughout her stay there she was in a coma and the doctors had to attach many tubes to her. Normally, the cases of dengue that affected people I know have been not so serious and that recovered after one or two weeks, but her case was serious from the very beginning.
When I went with a couple of friends to visit her on what would be the last time I saw her, we were shocked at what we saw. Her face was swollen and pale, and her hands were a little cold. Those few minutes where I and another close friend of mine saw her, we were appalled. I thought back of the time chatting with her over lunch with a couple of friends just a few weeks earlier, and the contrast that we saw was just too real to describe. I could only say a prayer, in the silence of my heart. Then we left, not knowing that that was the last time.
In the silence of the hospital bed, her body tried to fight the deadly dengue virus for a month and a half, with all its might.
Until yesterday morning, where I heard she breathed her last.
Dear friend, you will be missed and cherished by all of us back here in school :)
Mosquitoes kill. I said it yesterday, and I'm going to say it again. Normally the seriousness of cases of dengue and other insect-spread diseases are, I admit, I'd taken them for granted. So to those reading this, please, please keep your surroundings mosquito-free. Always do regular cleaning-out of stagnant water spots around the house, and kill any mosquito on sight, if possible.
Because you'll never know when and who they'll strike next.
Sincerely, yours truly.
sorry to hear about the loss of this friend. :(
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