Replacing Fear: With Hope & Motivation Poem by Akeem Jonas

I myself can attest to that, you can be a living proof of what it is to become motivated by faith and self-devotion. As I waited for my name to be called, my stomach turned and a dark cloud came over my withering body. "we're ready for you now Mr. Johnson" said the nurse. I thought to myself, "Mr. Johnson" this is the first time hearing someone call me that as if I was a mature adult that had a career and a mortgage to pay off. I was only nineteen years old and at that moment in time I appeared as a full-fledged adult. Walking in to this small room with the lights dimmed so low as if it needed a new bulb, suddenly it put a tight notch in my throat. When the doctor walked in, the look on his face said it all. Scared to open his mouth to let the words flow though like a fast streaming river. 'I am sorry to inform you, but our results show that your kidney is in chronic failure'. That was the very first encounter of what would be a 6-year battle on dialysis because of kidney failure. During that time, many questions concerned me. I was only 19 at the time, asking myself will I live long enough to experience what life has to offer. I could only imagine what I was going to be in for. The only thing I knew from that point on was, I would need to be an adult and take on whatever obstacles were upon me.


Next thing I knew Cancer was knocking on my front door, trying to force its way in like a burst of lightning into the pavement. With this I felt such loss and an utter most sense of hopelessness. I didn't want my life to become a poignant soap opera story. My Heart dropped, beating a thousand miles a minute, chasing oxygen to catch me breathe. 'Cancer". It was a small amount of cancer cells in my Parathyroid Gland. It took a tool on me, I was traumatized with everything that surrounded me. But the doctors caught it early enough, and were able to remove it right away without any complications. During this time, although a rough and nocturnal period in my life, a sense of hope, strength, and self-motivation kept me going and NOT giving up. At night while sleeping; my dreams of living as a "normal" person without any symptoms of traumatic health kept my spirits up. Those dreams meant someday I would overcome and achieve frightening situations. It was finally 6 years,2 months, and 18 days later I received a transplant. Blessed with another chance to contend my quest of life.

What I've learned since then, is becoming an adult can bring on missions that you experience. Like a maze, and you have to find your way to the light. I could only find the strength within and prepare myself for whatever came my way. Being an adult was one of the best things I've ever encountered. It made me who I am today, and molding me for you I will be in the years to come. Everything I have been threw was meant to be. BLESSED!