Don't Judge a Book by its Cover

From the moment we learned of her diagnosis the first steps was to figure out a game plan for how life was going to continue in our house and who would help her. The most obvious choice was my brother, Omeed.

We all knew it would come with challenges, he is twenty, a college student, and busy with his life of friends and being young and has never had to have responsibilities of this nature.

However, despite all of that he is one of the most compassionate people I know. There have been plenty of times when I have been hurting and in his attempts to comfort me I could tell he was taking on part of my pain. Sure it may come off awkward because he doesn't know what to say, but he listens and he cares. He is so loving that every time I have spoken to him since I have moved to Washington he insists on telling me he loves me before he'll hang up. Yes even in front of his friends.

So yes he is loving and compassionate, but lets not forget the challenges we already discussed. Twenty. College kid. Life with friends.Without the details lets just say it was a rocky start.

I am here today though to tell you that the kid who I knew was full of compassion really is. He has been there this week rushing from school and work to home all hours of the day to care for her.

This week he has cleaned up puke without being asked. Been her cheerleader to make her drink to the point that he said he was holding the cup up to her lips to make her drink. He has driven to appointments. Made phone calls to everyone she has ever known. And spent most of his Friday night in her hospital room.

Through all the things he has done in his life to this point or will ever do again, not a single thing would make me more proud that the devotion he is now showing to her.

Bianca