Growing pains

He attempted independence at twenty-one, but could not rid himself of his overbearing family and their ever present fears about his health. At twenty-two, he received both a gift – the long awaited transplant – and a curse – the added fear of a full body revolt. Now, however, a year later, at the age of twenty-three, he felt himself breaking free from his caged-self. For the first time, he was strong, capable, and free from the daily regiment of drugs that had kept his body viable since birth. As he giddily spoke to them about his revised hopes and dreams, he felt a shift in the family dynamic – he was no longer only resented by his siblings for receiving all the attention, but also by his parents for not giving it back. They had dedicated their lives to making his last, and he wanted nothing more than to experience everything they had foregone to care for him. And on what should have been the happiest of days, he learned his cruelest lesson, no love is selfless.