Elena Desserich, 6 years old, dies of cancer and touches our hearts

Elena Desserich was 5 years old when she was diagnosed with cancer.  I have trouble writing that.  Having three daughters I can’t even imagine what life would be like if something happened to one of them.  I understand that it is the natural course of life and sometimes we are faced with adversity but still, not with a child.  A 6 year old gives so much pleasure with their innocence and zest for understanding life.  It seems so wrong when they are faced with death.  While I don’t have any personal experience with a child dying I can say from what I have read a child seems to face the end with the same curiosity that greets each day.

Elena Desserich was given 135 days to live.  She ended up living 255 days after being diagnosed and died at the age of 6.  In the span of her young years she not only has touched the hearts of her parents, sister and family but she has also touched the hearts of everyone who hears her story.  In her short life she (as do most young girls) enjoyed writing, drawing and coloring pictures.  Elena decided at some point that it would be fun to hide these notes around the house in varying places so the recipients would find them.  A surprise of happiness when unexpected nice thoughts are thrown your way.

After Elena passed away the notes continued popping up in odd places and I can only guess both touched and broke the heart of her mom and dad as they were discovered.  I can’t imagine the feeling of opening up a hand written drawing of a heart with “I love you” scrawled in it from my daughter who had just passed away.  It is actually difficult for me to even write this.  I can’t keep the tears from rolling down my cheeks thinking about the little girl; sick from something she can’t understand, sitting at a table attempting to express her love for her family.  I, as I am sure her parents would just like to scoop her up and tell her everything is going to be ok.  Sadly reality knows it is not.

Her parents took the notes and the events surrounding the last months of her life and put them into a book.  “Notes Left Behind” It is not a book I have read, not sure that I could read it without imploding within myself, but it sounds like an inspiring tale of a child and how she faced death the best way she could.  In the scheme of life’s troubles, issues at work, car breaking down, little to no money or whatever else might be thrown your way, something like this helps keep things in perspective.  Little girls are so precious.  Life is such a gift.  Are we so jaded as adults that we forget how lucky we are with what we are afforded every single day we wake up.

The interesting thing about children is they get the purpose of life better than adults do.  They are happy sitting on your lap.  The smile when you take five minutes out of your day to help them draw.  They crave your insights on their homework.  Their needs are not appeased by the latest jeans you bought them or the last movie you took them to.  They simply need time with the people who they love the most, their parents and family.

I feel I fail at this in most circumstances.  Failing at giving a child the one thing they desire most, time.

I wonder if when I am approaching death if I will look at my children and our history and be content with our balance of life.

If you wish to read more of Elena Desserich click over to MSNBC and read the article they wrote.  Get some tissue before you jump over though.

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