Jeremiah

I called him Jeremy.
Jeremiah is a little boy with hope. He lived with faith and happiness from people around him.
I am one of the last people to witness his endurance until his last breath. 

A year ago, I used to be a volunteer at pediatric ward at Hospital Tengku Ampuan Afzan (HTAA), Kuantan when there was my first met with this little angel. Every time I went to see Jeremiah, he always smiled at me and after that kissed my right cheek to show that how excited he felt when he got to see me. Mrs Arya, Jeremiah’s mother even recognized me every time when my face was everywhere in the particular ward. Jeremiah was a 7 years old boy whom a cancer fighter since he was 5. He was experienced with cancer which known as Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL).

Normally, White Blood Cells or WBCs help fight infection and protect the body against disease. But in leukemia, WBCs turn cancerous and multiply when they shouldn't, resulting in too many abnormal WBCs, which then interfere with organ function. If too many lymphoblasts (a certain type of WBC) are produced, a child will develop acute lymphoblastic, or lymphoid, leukemia (ALL). This is the most common type of childhood leukemia, affecting about 75% of kids with this cancer of the blood cells. Kids ages 2 to 8 are more likely to be affected, but all age groups can develop ALL.

Jeremiah loved children’s rhymes very much. He loved to sing ‘Twinkle Twinkle Little Star’ song and sometimes wanted me to sing it to him. I will sing to him the song with some fancy hand gestures to make him laugh and smile. I love to see his smile. It calmed me when we could sing along together.

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“I don’t want to die” said Jeremiah one day.

“Why you said like that?” I looked at him with confusion.

“I know that I’m sick and gonna to die. But I don’t want to. I love my mom. I don’t want to leave her”

I smiled and messed his hair.

“Jeremy, you shouldn’t say like that. Who said you’re gonna die?” I asked him nicely.

“The doctor told me that I’m sick. I don’t want to. I’m really afraid of death!”

I messed his hair even slowly. I knew that Jeremiah loved the feeling when people messed his hair. But, there was less of hair on his head. Due to the chemotherapy sessions he had, he lost most of his hair.

“Jeremy…you know what, you can’t be afraid. I know that you’re a strong boy. God loves you very much. That’s why He chose you to be with Him. You’re really a good boy”, I continued to hug him and hold myself to not show my solemn face to him. I also need to be strong for him.

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There was couple of weeks which I do not go to the hospital because I am too busy with my final assignments and some preparation for presentations. However, I still kept in touch with Jeremiah’s health condition through her mother.


It was Friday’s morning and it kept permanent in my mind when Mrs Arya called me with hesitate that Jeremiah’s condition was getting worst. She was crying when I was arrived the hospital. I went to the ward and found Jeremiah’s pale face. He still smiled to me even though he was in pain.

“Kak Ila, can you sit beside me? I want you to sing ‘Twinkle Twinkle Little Stars’ to me”, he asked while his hand patted on his bed beside him. He seemed hard to speak and barely able to breath with the wires in his nostrils.

I sit beside him and his mother also joined us. Both of us hugged him from his back. I started to sing and when I finished my last words; my eyes stared at Jeremiah who already fell asleep. Despite of his pale face and lips, there was a smile on his face. My eyes just stick on his face and I stood stiffly. I knew that, I could sense something bad. I took Jeremiah’s hand and checked his pulse. I just cannot say any words except the line “Jeremy just leaved us…”, and I could hear Mrs Arya rushed out from the room and called the doctor.

I could feel that tears already rolled down on both of my cheeks. I knew that Jeremiah wanted to leave us. The little angel wanted to die with peace in our warm embrace. I do not know why I need to feel like this. There were still some Jeremiah’s words playing inside my mind.

“Twinkle twinkle little stars”

“How I wonder what you are”

“Up above the world so high”

“Like a diamond in the sky…”

“You know Kak Ila, I really want to get the stars and give them to you. You're very kind”,

“You’re just like diamond in the sky!”

“Kak Ila, if someday that you happened not to see me again, you know where to find me, is it?”

“Here, I’m in your memory and your heart…”

based on a true story