Dear World,

When everything feels like it’s changing in unexpected ways, it can feel like the end of the world. 

︎


Eva is 11 years old. My second child. She has chronic asthma and has been in and out of hospital since she was a toddler. Strong courses of steroids have helped her breathing but put strain on her body. Early last year she began to limp. We thought it was just a sprain, but it turned out to be a rare bone growth deformity. This caused the top of her pelvis joints to slide apart and she needed emergency surgery to pin both sides back into place. Then she had to learn to walk again. Not long after that her grandpa Sam died, which was overwhelmingly sad along with everything else. Eva missed a lot of school and was just getting back into a more normal routine when COVID-19 happened.

Eva attends primary in the Leith area of Edinburgh in Scotland. Leith was once its own town with a long and at times tempestuous history of sieges and plagues. Its port sent ships and people all over the world carrying the town's motto, "persevere". That word means a lot to Eva. It is also her school’s motto. She says it means to “keep going”. When she was struggling last year, her friends at school sent her a huge card with messages of support. This helped her to stay focused on her recovery. She rallied and made it to the school trip to an outdoor centre. Even on crutches she managed to try rappelling, canoeing and mountain-biking.

Eva is aware that awful things are happening all over the world because of the virus. She has been in lockdown since early March because of her lungs. She recognises that life has changed, perhaps permanently, because of it. When everything feels like it’s changing in unexpected ways, it can feel like the end of the world. When Eva feels that way, she goes back to when things were at their worst last year and realises how far she has come.

Eva is shown here in the park she loves the most. It’s close to our house. She’s sitting in “her” tree. A bent cherry tree with a perfect view of Arthur’s Seat, the mountain in the middle of Edinburgh. It’s a place to recharge and reflect. She is always better after sitting in one of her favourite spots.

As a family, we all stand in awe of Eva. She is such a strong person. Fiercely determined but also very kind and caring. She spends her time in lockdown, gardening, litter picking “her” park, and doing projects like making soap and bath bombs. She wants you to know that even if nothing seems okay right now, things will be okay again. Keep going.


Sincerely,

Persevere