{"id":36651,"date":"2024-01-27T09:46:38","date_gmt":"2024-01-27T07:46:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/?p=36651"},"modified":"2024-01-22T09:53:17","modified_gmt":"2024-01-22T07:53:17","slug":"its-good-to-be-kind","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/blog\/2024\/01\/27\/its-good-to-be-kind\/","title":{"rendered":"It\u2019s good to be kind"},"content":{"rendered":"
Abbigail Strachan is an unstoppable teen. Fuelled by the faith of her family, she continues to rise above her struggle with a mysterious and debilitating illness. Her journey of pain has also inspired her to write a book in the hope that it will teach all how to be a little kinder.<\/p>\n
For more than two years, Abby has lived in a world of pain, crippled by an illness which doctors have been stumped by. She\u2019s had countless X-Rays, ultrasounds, MRIs and over 100 vials of blood taken. And, in November last year after a two week stay, left hospital confined to a wheelchair. No one knew if she would ever walk unaided again.<\/p>\n
But thanks to Abby\u2019s fighting spirit, coupled to the Strachan family\u2019s belief in the power of prayer,\u00a0 the Farningham Ridge teen is showing improvement. Albeit in small doses, it\u2019s enough to give her and her family hope of a somewhat normal future.<\/p>\nThe book, which includes a button, designed to be a symbol of compassion, is available in limited hardcopies and as a Kindle Edition (without the button) on Amazon, for R175.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Driven by her struggle and gratitude for life, Abby put pen to paper and wrote a children\u2019s story \u2013 Abby and the Wind – in which she triggers, through her own suffering, enough emotional reaction to inspire children\u00a0to question their actions around their classmates. Abby says all she really wants to achieve with her book, is for people to be more patient, kind and tolerant of one another and, in particular, to those who are different or waging a war deep inside that isn\u2019t always visible to others.<\/p>\n
Always a lively and active child, Abby loved climbing trees with her siblings and running around and playing with her friends at school during lunch breaks. She\u2019s also a cross country fan, enjoys playing in the Marimba band and really loves art, drama and being a part of the Scouting community as a Girl Scout.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen I was 11, I started getting strange pains in my joints. One week it was my foot, the next it was my elbow. And then my collar bone started hurting.\u201d<\/p>\n
Since Abby hadn\u2019t injured herself, this was strange for the Strachan family to wrap their heads around. She was in between doctors and specialists, with more and more tests being done, but doctors didn\u2019t have a firm diagnosis.<\/p>\n
Abby\u2019s mom, Jen, says with so many auto immune diseases in the world, and new cases rising, experts continue to be baffled by why people\u2019s immune systems turn on them.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s like the immune system can\u2019t tell the difference between what\u2019s healthy and what\u2019s not.\u201d<\/p>\n
As the pain worsened, it spread to Abby\u2019s ribs and eventually it hurt for her to even breathe.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe doctors initially thought Abby had Lupus or Juvenile Arthritis. She was living on pain medication and using a crutch to walk, making everyday life difficult and limited.\u201d Jen adds that at the request of her and Abby\u2019s dad Jonathan, who were both desperate for answers and for pain relief for their daughter, Abby was put on medication to help manage her diagnosis.<\/p>\n
\u201cAfter three days Abby could walk without her crutches,\u201d says Jen. \u201cBut after a while, it was as if she\u2019d become immune to the medicine. She was put on different meds in the months that followed and each would have a positive effect for a while until the pain would creep back into her bones.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jen says eventually, Abby\u2019s original diagnosis was dismissed and, two years after her first symptoms, she\u2019s still undergoing tests and bloodwork. Although still not 100 percent sure of the scale of her condition, doctors have provisionally diagnosed Abby with\u00a0Juvenile idiopathic arthritis, which causes persistent joint pain, swelling and stiffness, and Spondyloarthropathy,\u00a0an inflammatory arthritis affecting the spine. Doctors are still searching for a more permanent answer to her suffering.<\/p>\n
\u201cAbby has lost weight,\u201d says Jen. \u201cShe can\u2019t climb trees or do cross-country or run on the playground with her friends anymore. But she\u2019s got an incredibly positive attitude.\u201d<\/p>\n
For Abby, some days are easier than others.<\/p>\n
\u201cSometimes I use a crutch and have to wear a wrist guard or need to be bandaged up. But I have slowly learnt to master walking with a wobble,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n
Prior to being home-schooled, on bad days Abby was forced to stay home from school, as the pain made walking unbearable, and she was either confined to her bed or a wheelchair.<\/p>\n
\u201cNot only has our young teen been forced to adapt to a life in constant physical pain, but she\u2019s had to struggle with the frustration and heartache of some of her peers and teachers believing she isn\u2019t really ill. They can\u2019t see her pain, so aren\u2019t able to understand what\u2019s happening inside her body.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jen and Jonathan are not only hurting for their daughter, but also battling financially with the overwhelming costs of Abby\u2019s medical treatment. In October they turned to crowd funding through BackaBuddy, with the hope that they may continue to get Abby the help and specialist care she needs. Abby urgently needs another MRI but, due to government hospital constraints, this is only scheduled for August 24.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe severity of Abby\u2019s pain impedes daily activities, and a conclusive diagnosis is still pending,\u201d says Jen. \u201cRegular specialist visits and specific tests are vital to tailor an effective treatment plan for her.\u201d<\/p>\n
Despite everything they\u2019ve been through, the Strachans say their faith as a family has inspired them to use the Bible\u2019s analogy of the wind to help understand the invisible thing causing Abby so much pain.<\/p>\n
\u201cLike the spirit, the wind is invisible. You cannot see it move or work, but we can all see the effects of what it does when it is harsh. By comparing Abby\u2019s illness to the wind, it makes it easier for her to explain to her friends, and even to adults, that there is something creating all of this pain,\u201d says Jen.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you don\u2019t have an auto immune disease, it is very difficult to understand the challenges they come with. Every person carries the wind inside of them. Sometimes it can be a disease or an illness. Sometimes life at home can be really hard. Maybe your parents are going through a divorce, maybe someone close to you has died. It is not always easy for children to explain their feelings or open up,\u201d says Jen.<\/p>\nAbby with Audrey van Gelder, who did all the illustrations in the book,<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Abby\u2019s book, which includes a button with a picture of the wind, paves a way for children to say they are not okay, without having to explain why.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you\u2019re having a bad day, put the button on. You don\u2019t have to tell anyone why you are feeling like this but, imagine if it became a thing among people who quietly understood what the symbol of the wind means, and could share some encouragement and show you some kindness? Wouldn\u2019t that be lovely!\u201d states Abby.<\/p>\n
With the help and encouragement of her mom, and talented 12-year-old friend Audrey van Gelder, who did all the illustrations in the book, Abby launched her book in December.<\/p>\n
Funds raised from book sales will go towards Abby\u2019s medical care. \u201cWe are also going to donate 10 per cent of every sale to other children like me,\u201d says Abby.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2024\/01\/71f4Wjfyt6L._SL1500_-320x400.jpg\")
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/highway-berea\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2024\/01\/WhatsApp-Image-2024-01-03-at-8.08.14-AM-300x400.jpeg\")