Some people are such an inspiration for others. Risha Shukla had been in and out of the ER since age 3 diagnosed with juvenile pancreatitis and other chronic complications. Knowing a little bit about her struggles, she has had her spleen removed, also her gall bladder, appendix, pancreas and part of her small bowels and duodenum, she takes 25-30 pills daily and 5-6 shots of insulin, I had expected to meet a tired, bed ridden teenager as I walked into their house. Instead I was greeted merrily by a tall, beautiful girl who smilingly outstretched a hand, Hi Im Risha! She spoke so eloquently at her function about her journey, her relapse, losing friends to various medical conditions during her hospital stays, not being able to bike, swim, how she misses hanging out with friends, her gratitude for all that she does have and her wonderful support system that has kept her going. Its no wonder she has countless awards for her work, has met Condoleezza Rice and many dignitaries. What is most inspiring about her is that she has put her own suffering aside to bring joy to others. Risha and her parents created the Kids Who Care Foundation, a nonprofit that cheers up kids in the hospital by sending care packages with toys, card quilts, books and DVDs. Her mother Anisha is just amazing. She is her champion and her advocate. They are such a wonderful family who has been through so much. Risha is so blessed to have wonderful parents as Anisha and Chetan and her sister Rhea is her best friend. Usually chronic illnesses tear apart families as they the stress gets too much. But in this case it has only made their bonds stronger making them an inspiration for all of us. The ills we face and the idiosyncrasies we find irritating in others pale in comparison to what this family goes through. Makes me mindful that it is not what is missing in our lives but nurturing what is there and it is not what is handed to us but our attitude towards it that makes a difference in the quality of life we lead. It really was an honor to be a part of their special occassion. They celebrated Rishas 18th birthday, her graduation from Northwood High and Rheas 16th birthday. Wishing Risha the best as she starts her freshman year at UCLA this fall. You can read about Risha at: huffingtonpost/risha-shukla/christmas-in-the-house-th_b_2279286.html m.ocregister/articles/risha-374489-year-school.html Tiramisu cake: layers of coffee cake with coffee liquored mascarpone cheese, and whipped cream, dusted with chocolate. Chocolate ganache: chocolate sour cream cake covered with ganache. Decorated with chocolate covered coffee beans. .
Posted on: Mon, 15 Sep 2014 15:35:11 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015