A balancing act

Between hope and worry of Sébastien’s situation, there are the calm spots, when one simply listens and learns… They are the moments I most enjoy. Like when I hear Jasmina explain something I didn’t know before. It happened in our last call when we came upon the subject of Sébastien’s kidneys. It is unfortunate that he had a kidney failure, otherwise he might have had a faster recuperation. But, far from bitter, with an attitude that takes things as they come, Jasmina explains that there are two kinds of kidney failure… chronic and acute, or in her terms: “some children pee like crazy but don’t clear toxins, and others like Sébastien, don’t pee at all”. So besides needing dialysis to rid the body of toxins, Sébastien also needs dialysis to regulate his fluids and electrolytes. And in order to control the amount of toxins in his body, Sébastien has certain diet restrictions – like a controlled amount of protein - which helps a child grow and develop. Limited protein thus causes a slower growth rate. But far from worrying, Jasmina proudly tells me that Sébastien is 69.5 cm long. “Last month he was 67cm!” 

“Sébastien is an acrobat!” I tease thinking of how finely balanced the human body is. Sébastien is the acrobat walking a tightrope, as Jasmina and David are the safety net below him. We watch as he moves along, slowly, one measured step at a time.