I thought I knew and understood heartbreak. After all, you can not write a book with a title such as The Funny Thing About Being a Widow? unless you possess a hard-earned degree in devastation. Though I truly believed after losing my husband that my heart had broken beyond repair, the resilient, hard-working organ in my chest continued to beat, never losing the capacity to heal by itself which over time is exactly what it did.
When my beautiful granddaughter Lelya came into our lives almost a year ago, this time my heart melted into a pool of molten love as she immediately took her rightful place inside of it, where she will remain always and forever. However, the elation and joy which comes with the birth of a treasured new life, in our case, was cut tragically short. After a few blissful weeks during which our little girl showed already that she was destined to be a force to be reckoned with, Leyla was diagnosed with serious and life-threatening problems with her heart.
Leyla Mae Bell, with the exception of those first three weeks after she was born, has never known a life without medical intervention. Despite being reliant on a Berlin heart device to keep her alive until she can receive a heart transplant, this little girl, who can’t even make a sound because of her tracheostomy, lets us know every day that she wants her shot at a normal life and will fight to take it. Would you believe that the baby sitting up in the first picture had had a stroke? No neither would I until I felt my heart break again when I learned that she had.
I have left the provision of all the details of Leyla’s remarkable fight for life with the inspiration that is her mother Savana Bell. There is no one better placed to communicate their story than her whose strength borders on the superhuman at times. You can read her posts on the Voices from another mother feature here on this website.
Unfortunately, Leyla is in need of a transplant now more than ever after her problems have continued to deteriorate recently. All of us as a family, are all too well aware of the fact that her chance will happen as the direct result of a tragedy befalling another family, which is truly heartbreaking. But for those wonderful families who are able to contemplate the gift of organ donation, they can be proud that their bravery during the darkest time in their lives might help Leyla and many other children just like her.
As my followers know I have offered my musings into the ether usually with the intention of trying to put a smile on someone’s face, however, briefly. This time the mission could not be more serious or important. I have often heard about the power of social media, but my limited experience of the corner occupied by yours truly is that unless you have pneumatic lips and eyebrows that enter the room before the rest of you, a prosthetic bum like a shelf or some other form of mind-boggling body augmentation the likes and shares are in short supply.
Well, my granddaughter has a form of bodily augmentation too…its called a Berlin Heart and it has been a lot more useful than any of the aforementioned enhancements. So can we please get liking and sharing?
Show me the real meaning of the power of social media…maybe…just maybe this or Savana’s post might just reach the person in charge of the department for miracles and we can get Leyla home to the family that loves and adores her and is where she rightfully belongs.
Oh Sandra I can’t imagine the heartbreak you must be dealing with. You are a very special lady and have reduced me to tears with little Layla’s plight. I wish her all the luck in the world and hope she gets her desperately needed transplant. Take care you.xxxxx
Thank you Greg. We are all fighting hard but no more so than Leyla herself who deserves her chance of life without a broken heart. You take good care of you too xxxxxx
Leyla’s story is both inspirational and heartbreaking in equal measure. I can’t imagine what you are all going through. As you say, another family would have to deal with the devastating loss of a child, but, hopefully, one family will give the opportunity of the most precious gift of life to Leyla. Much love to all xx
Thank you Denise…it is a heartbreaking situation for all concerned thank you for your good wishes xxxxxx