My parents were humanitarians; dedicated to travelling around the globe to help third world countries, my father worked towards political calm and my mother worked as a medic and nurse. They had been doing it before they married and had a dreamt of creating the ultimate nomadic family that would join them on these adventures..
A little travel gang.
When I was diagnosed there was a decision that had to be made. Would they continue travelling with a sick child, or would my parents separate so that one of them could stay with me in a safer country, or would the whole family give up the only life they knew because of me?
My mother refused discussing separation.
So, the question was either my family changed lifestyles entirely and my parents gave up their dreams… or they found a way to make it work. My parents didn’t want me to feel responsible for changing our lives and thought it was important to teach us that everyone could do anything if we just helped each other out.
Despite all of my doctors’ protests and rage, I followed my family to Moscow.
And, they made it work. Every country brought a new challenge, and there was even one Christmas that our family was separated because I had to be in hospital. But I followed them everywhere regardless, experienced everything with my brothers and I felt normal.
It was hard, lonely and scary but I wouldn’t do anything differently.
To this day I still travel when I can, and these are my stories.
I want to show you that you can travel, even if you have meds that need to be in the fridge, or meds that have to stay away from the heat or even if you have to do treatments during the day. You can travel despite all that, these are my tricks but there are so many that I still haven’t discovered. But I will. I promise.
Feeling free is what we all deserve.
