7.5.07

MANIC MONDAY - I WILL SURVIVE

Pookie also dances on the table

When I read the word for Manic Monday I immediatly thought of a young man whose brain had been nearly distroyed by drug abuse.

One of my friends daughter was hospitalized for anorexia. The day where my friend was allowed to visit her, she asked me to come with her, because she hadn't the courage to go there alone and facing her skeleton like daughter. She was full of reproaches for herself and felt so guilty that she didn't know what to say to her daughter and she thought with me being there it would be less stressful.

When we arrived it was visitor day and the sick girls and boys were all in a big room to wait for their families or friends. There were all main deseases represented. Depressions, Anorexia, boulimia and very heavy drug addicts and all of them hoped to survive or not.

The first thing I noticed in this room was a young man of around 20 who had climbed on a table, singing the song "I will survive" with all his heart and danced. On the table was also a big birthday cake with candles and at least 8 people sat around. Of course I became curious about what happened there and asked. A woman told me the very sad story of this young man. His problem was to be too intelligent and he had an IQ far above the average. Nobody had noticed that and as school became so boring for him because he learned too fast, he had started with a few coke lines, which had been offered to him probably during parties. From there it got worse more and more until he reached the state of heroin and crack and everything what could get him out of his boring world. Until the day he almost died from an overdose. Hospitalized here, he suddenly realized that he wanted to survive and start a cure.

In some way he was very lucky that his parents never gave up on him and tried to get him out of this hell by all means. Later on another visit I had the occasion to discuss with him and I was really amazed about the general knowledge of everything he had in litterature, painting, science etc. But he wasn't healed yet. In the middle of a conversation he just would walk away, start singing or doing something else. He was such a friendly and loveable guy.

And when I think about him dancing and singing on this table, with his whole family around, I sincerely hope that he had survived.

Each time I hear this song I see him dancing with such joy and hope for a new life.

I will survive song

and the same song but only for people with humor don't blame me afterwards ! I warned you !

Jesus will survive

16 comments:

Anonymous said...

Wow, that story really sums up the human survival instinct... addiction is nasty.

Fantastic story. Uplifting.

Sandee said...

This is the fabric of so much of where I live. The fabric of Amrerica is breaking down so quickly.

Anonymous said...

Addiction is a terrible thing. Great post.

MaR said...

At least those kids are accepting help...and they will survive by doing so! our friends' then 19-yrs-old son was only 45kg/110 pounds and he was 1,75m by the time he had to be hospitalized and finally admitted he had a problem... his parents are the nicest, kindest people and of course they thought it was all their own fault. Terrible thing to experience...the young guy is doing fine now but the parents tell me he will remain anorexic for life (it's sort of like alcoholism I guess), he behaves that way whenever he is under stress...
Enjoyed your music links, Gattina, I had seen the second one and I thing it is so much fun, there is no point in finding it offensive. It's just plain humor, as you said it. Happy monday! Deutschland hatte super Wetter am Wochenende, unglaublich sonning und warm :)

Empress Bee (of the high sea) said...

addiction is so horrible. i know. it is in my family too. thanks for caring.

smiles, bee

Melli said...

I'm very hopeful for that young man... he is very similar to another young man I have known. (too closely) I love to see them "come around"!

Barb said...

What a wonderful and heartfelt post. I had never seen the Jesus video before! Hahaa

Crazy Working Mom said...

Wow! What a great story. :)
Thanks for sharing and thanks for dropping by my MM.

Anndi said...

Thank you for sharing such an inspiring story, and for the laughs you gave us at the end. A truly wonderful post Gattina.

Anonymous said...

How wonderful that he has finally decided that life is precious. I love that song! It can make anyone dance.
Sorry for your friend's daughter. I fear with these starving models setting examples and everyone wanting to be looking like a waif that it annerexia will only get worse. My niece in kindergarten already sees people as skinny or fat! She says my skinny friends or her fat friends. She wants to be skinny! My sister works and works with her but society put this in these children's heads! It disgusts me. I pray that a new trend goes for healthy not skeletal.

Mags said...

Great story-such hope!

Lisa Ryan said...

it's always good to hear of success stories! funny video at the end. :-)

Anonymous said...

Je me permets de faire un commentaire même si je ne participe pas à MM, mais cette histoire est vraiment touchante. il y a énormément de jeunes dans ces situations terribles. J'avais une amie anorexique, dans ma jeunesse!
Et c'était impressionnant! Une cuillère de petits pois et elle était au bord du vomissement!
Que se passe-t-il dans la tête des jeunes pour en arriver là? Pierre me dit que dans les pays sous développés ou en guerre ce genre de maladie n'existe pas. J'aimerais bien savoir si cela a été vérifié!?

Unknown said...

I hope, too, the young man has survived. Addiction is truely horrible!

Natürlich bin ich keine Kirchenmaus - ich hab mich weggeschrien vor Lachen als ich das Video gesehen habe. So sehr, dass ich es gleich nochmal nochmal angeschaut habe! ;)

Unknown said...

Over the years I have seen many turn from the brink of drug induced disaster. Sometimes I think it takes the brush with death to make some people cherish life. I hope he is doing well.

Good Post.

Later Y'all

Jeanette said...

Pookie get of the table. Hehehe.
thank you for sharing this story with us, and I hope your friends Daughter is well on the road to recovery also that young man. Take care..