Spinocerebellar ataxia
Friday, November 6, 2009
Recently, I've learnt about the nervous system
I realized that it is amazing how our body is able to perform simple tasks such as walking, talking, etc.
Although all these actions seem to occur naturally to us, able-bodied human creatures, it might
not be for some.
Ever heard of the story '1 litre of tears'?
The story tells the experince of a 15 year old japanese girl who was diagnosed with a degenerative disease known as spinocerebellar ataxia.
This disease causes the patient to have poor coordination of hands, speech and eye movements.
Different regions of the cerebellum are affected.
Hence, a patient with this disease will usually end up needing to use a wheelchair(cos they can't walk on their own) and they need help in performing daily tasks (cos they can't control muscle movements).
And it's a degenerative disease which means that it gets worse as time passes.
So, this girl, Aya Kito Ikeuchi, during the 10 years that she lived after knowing about her diagnosis,
she wrote a diary about her feelings and thoughts.
She said that she was writing because writing is evidence that she is still alive.
Through her writings,
she had inspired those with the same diagnosis.
She once wrote, "This disease, why did it choose me?"
Later, she wrote "fate, it can't be put to words"
So, i strongly encourage you readers to watch the drama.
Although the story might have been changed a little for commercialised values,
I still think that this story is wow. WATCH IT!
I shall end today's post with a few of Aya's lines from her diary.
'People shouldn't dwell on the past
It's enough to try your best in everything that you're doing now.
Reality is too cruel, too brutal.
I don't even have the right to dream.
As I think about the future, the tears will come out again.'
Think about it, she didnt get to dream.
but we do,
so DREAM
Aya Kito Ikeuchi
