In Her Own Words ...

"The Day I Found Out I had Aplastic Anemia"

As written by Hannah Eriksen, age 8

A Personal Narrative project for her 3rd grade class

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December 1, 2008: 


My mom said let's go rent a movie and we can have movie day.  Okay I said thinking if the blood test I had earlier that morning would reveal if I had to go to the hospital or not.  As we were driving to the movie place the phone rang.  I thought please do not be the doctor.


When my mom answered the phone her face looked in horror and her face looked hard as a rock.  I thought I heard the word hospital.  I thought Oh no what am I going to do if I have to go to the hospital.  Maybe I will not go.  I hope I do not have to go.  What am I going to do if I have to go?  A bunch of things started racing in my mind.  My heart was pounding like the fastest roller coaster in the world.  Then my mom got off the phone.  Her face looked scared & I thought oh no.  I could picture nurses putting thousands of needles in me.

My mom started talking.  At first I was so scared and had no idea what she was saying.  Then it hit me, she said i had to go to the hospital.  Tears started shouting out of my eyes.  Then I got a horrible thought in my head.  I thought, oh my goodness, I am going to die, as the car slowly pulled out of the parking lot.  I told my mom I didn't want to go to the hospital but she said we had no choice.  When we got back to my house my mom quickly started packing up.  I asked her, am I going to die?  She said, I don't think so.  Then I started crying even more when we got in the car and drove to the hospital.


When we got to the hospital it was like we got to a haunted house.  My mom said that if I stopped crying and did well in the hospital maybe I could get a Wii for Christmas.  I stopped crying and had no idea what would happen next.  That day I learned to be braver and the hospital was fun because my mom always made it fun.  In the hospital I also got to watch a lot of movies.  That was very fun too. 

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So many thoughts for me, as Hannah's mom, about her personal narrative. 

Her 160+ nights in the hospital were anything but fun but I always tried to make the best of it & make it "fun" for Hannah. 

I am so thankful to the Lord that we have many wonderful memories of that time together despite all the bad things.  We have so many memories of dragging that IV pole everywhere, Hannah dancing with the IV pole, making friends with everyone around us, eating cereal in the middle of the night, watching movies, doing crafts & napping. 

It was a rough time.  A time that I am still, personally, recovering from but God continues to be faithful in every way.  I am forever thankful for the healing for my Hannah & the days of normal that we now have. 

She will be 9 on Monday.  Hard to believe my girl that was so sick is now approaching ANOTHER birthday ... thank you, Lord!!!!!

Life with health is such a blessing ... I don't take any of it for granted!!

All God's best from HOME in KY,