the girl next door.

As we walk around the hallways of Villa Park we see people we’ve never spoken to. There are stories that have to be told. Secrets that are bottled up inside. She is just your average and typical Honor student, trying to get by without letting the world know what she’s all about. The end of her freshman year it all began, in Mrs. Hunt’s classroom. Breast cancer was a big topic for the week. Mrs. Hunt explained how girls could check if they have it, because its never too early to be cautious. Mindy Nguyen began checking. She felt a firm ball of tissue in her left breast. She was so alone. Her mother was away in Vietnam with no way of communication. She didn’t know what to do. Lost in a case of silence, all she could do was weep alone. She didn’t know what to do. Awaiting her mother’s arrival was her only choice. Her mother finally came home. Mindy’s remarkable journey then began.

As Mindy scheduled an appointment with her doctor, the suspense was killing her. She then walked into the room where her future awaited her. Questions raced through her mind. Will I live? What would happen if I did have something wrong with me? Her doctor then told her the bad news. Yet, he said she could either get it removed or wait for 6 months to see if it was cancerous. Mindy said, “I’d rather die than get surgery.” This was a point in her life that could determine her existence on earth for much longer. As she began this 6-month trial, she prayed for a miracle. The one thing that was on her mind 24/7 was what was going to happen.

The week of spring break of her sophomore year came. Mindy was told it did not get larger but it was about an inch in diameter. It was a tumor. He said it needed to be removed as soon as possible before anything worse could happen. Mindy wanted to die at that moment. She felt like she deserved another option. She begged for anything, anything to change the fact that she needed surgery. As she cried to the very few that knew about her secret, she didn’t know if she would make it out alive. There was a chance of her not surviving. Mindy then went into the surgery room and discovered something more. Her faith was so much greater than any pain. As afraid as she may have been, she truly knew that whatever happened was for a reason.

She has recovered remarkably. She does everything a normal teenage girl does. We would not know that anything was wrong with her unless we knew her and developed a deep connection. Any situation could happen to anyone at Villa Park High School, even outside school such as this. Everyone has a story, whether it may be physical or emotional. There are many of us who wear the scars on our sleeves. So just remember, asking a simple are you okay? Or how are you feeling today? Could make a difference. Showing that you care could randomly turn into a life changing experience such as Mindy who now is even stronger after the biggest struggle of her life came crashing down.

loool. so today was a normal day at school. i never thought that being at school would accually make me feel better about things. lool. umm it was a normal day first day of art today lool. we had to draw things and i guess it was fun it feels like a free periodd which is like yay hahah x] buht something that i wanted to post was this piece written by jennifer shaheed for her year book class. obviously this is about me and i just recieved it through an email. im not sure if she wanted me to post this up but its pretty interesting to read even tho i was reading about myself. haha. im not sure why its titled the girl next door but at the same time when i think about it, its a catchy title and i get her message that shes trying to get her viewers to know. ;D now off to homeworkk.