Running For His Life; JUNE ISSUE

This article features a youth, Ryan Farrington. He suffers from dystonia. It was a rare condition similar to Parkinson's disease. He would suffer from frequent pain attacks and violent spasms. His dystonia was severe and it has affected much if its body. There was no cure and the older he got, the worse it became. The spasms became so frequent that he even had his own bed in the hospital. The doctors could do little more than put Ryan on a morphine drip and deaden the pain. Over the years, he also faced difficulties where he had to face the fact that his condition is deteriorating. He had to make difficult decisions at the tender age of nine. He was forced to make a decision of whether he could set himself free from the pains that he was suffering from now but with the condition of losing the ability to walk. It was the last resort. Ryan has been treated differently because of his illness, which he did want to. He merely wanted to be a normal kid. However, now if he had chosen to be released from sufferings he would be deemed as disabled who he did not want to. Thus he refused to take up the treatment. But this way he would still have to suffer from those spasms.

The disease was relentless that would suddenly flare up and cripple him. He then entered the rehabilitation clinic. He practiced hard there and was then even capable of jogging even though he walks with a slight limp. He practiced very hard and he could even compete with the other athletics. He won many competitions. He is now one of Britain’s top ten sprinters for his age group. However, after every race he would need a lot of rest. There are still times when he cannot get out of bed. He has no idea how long he can keep competing but he has never thought of giving up.

I feel that Ryan is really brave and persistent in what he wants. He has displayed resilience. He could have chosen the route to inject painkillers into his spine and free him from all those pain that he was undergoing. However, he stuck to his principle of wanting to be treated like a normal child. Ryan did not give up on himself because of this disease. Instead, he has given him even more motivation to do his best for every race. He never thought of giving up. His achievements were remarkable, as he has gone from a wheelchair to the running track. This process was never easy. However, Ryan has managed to overcome any obstacles that came into his way. His persistence has paid off when he managed to run like the other normal athletics and maybe even faster than them. His achievements were amazing. No one would have ever thought that he had the capability to come this far enough. His treasures what he has? He participates in many competitions. As he never knows, what his future would behold for him.

He believes strongly in himself. I think that this is what most of us are lacking from. If we had that kind of belief that Ryan had in himself, we would not have thought of giving up then. Everyone would be facing challenges and setbacks in their life. No one’s life is always smooth sailing. Being able to learn from mistakes and not committing it again is of utmost importance. Facing setbacks is parts and parcel of our lives. It is something that we should learn from. In comparison with the setbacks that Ryan has faced in his life, ours are nothing. We should not be giving up after a small setback. Setbacks allow us to grow and develop.

If Ryan had the confidence to move on with life and the spirit to do his best, why we cannot just be doing the same? This has also made me realize the importance of our family. They are the ones that stand by you no matter that state you are in. They would always be there to cheer you on and support you. Home is the safe harbor that we can always return to take a rest. We should be treasure our life and family more. Taking Ryan as an example, he does know when his disease might turn for the worse that might lead him to not be able to run anymore. Thus, he is running for his life and competing against time. We are here fit and healthy. However, we are squandering our time and wasting them on games and television. Why not spend the time on pursuing our dreams? In conclusion, we should always treasure what we have and not to take them for granted. We never know what we might just lose at the next moment.

Doneby: IsellaLim(:(11)