Emily's Story

I know a girl. A beautiful vibrant girl, who lives in an apartment down the street from me. Her family is poor, but the digs are acceptable. She is 15, goes to school, gets into mischief, and generally is a free spirit. Her mom is tough as nails. Works in a factory to provide for her daughter, deals with all kinds of stress.

I know a girl, still beautiful but less vibrant, working hard to contrbute to her family, also in a factory, still harboring dreams. Wants her own business, she says. As soon as her Mom beats the mesothelioma. You see out of the twenty or so occupants of this complex, over half would develop mesothelioma. This girl, Emily and I are five years apart. She is hurting and does not know why.

What I did not tell you was Emily did not develop mesothelioma. She developed ovarian cancer. You see of the twenty or so occupants of this complex, all but one would develop some form of cancer. Yet no one to this day has torn the deathtrap down.

Her heighbor has just recently passed, and her Mother is now terminally ill. It is now just a matter of a few days. Problem is Emily has to forego her own treatment to be there for her Mother in her last days, and is compromising her own health in the process.

As the last of her Mother's posessions are divied up amongst the family, the stress of the funeral and her own illness has taken a toll on the beautiful, now 22 year old girl. She collapses.

I know a girl and her name is Emily. Five years after her collapse she is stll battling. I hope I never have to say I KNEW a girl.