Bonzer Words!: Lily Lump
Violet Hall tells the the inspiring story of a little girl, and how she dealt with her Lily Lump.
'Jasmin has a growth, in her left leg!'
My daughter Beverley's face drained of colour and I thought she was going to collapse, as she held her ten year old daughter's hand tightly. The doctor's words ricocheted inside my brain, echoing over and over again. With a calmness in her voice, that belied the way she looked Beverley asked the doctor what they could do to help Jasmin.
The doctor explained they would have to operate as soon as possible and they would take a biopsy as soon as they started to operate, then wait for the result, before deciding what to do next, as they needed to know if it was benign or malignant, at which point they would consult with Beverley regarding options.
The options were too horrendous to consider and the next weeks passed in a blur and I watched my daughter go through the private hell of a Mother, helpless, unable to help or protect her child. It was during one of their little talks with Jasmin's elder sister Jacquelyne and Beverley that Jasmin decided to call her 'growth' LILY LUMP! An amazing thing happened! Suddenly everyone asked how Lilly Lump was and Jasmin joked about it to her friends, The doctors called it Lilly Lump and said what a great idea it was, so even on hospital records Lilly Lump is famous.
Four years earlier Beverley's husband had died from a sudden heart attack, just two years later, her father passed away, so between them the girls had suffered the loss of father and grandfather. They had found a strength and a bond that was to see them through the Lilly Lump ordeal!
The day arrived and Jasmin was wheeled into the operating theatre. Only then did Beverley let the tears flow! The minutes seemed like hours. The waiting almost beyond endurance, before the surgeon walked into the room. His words forever, etched into my mind.
'Everything went well Beverley! Lily Lump was benign and I am very sure we removed it all! Jasmin will be fine.'
When she woke from the anesthetic, Jasmin's first words were, 'Has Lily Lump gone?'
Friends all visited and signed her leg plaster and Jasmin was so brave , never complained and soon it was time to come home. There would be weeks of physiotherapy to come of course, But a really big surprise was waiting for her.
There was a knock on the door just as she settled down in the lounge room and a voice asked for Jasmin! Her face was a picture when in walked Mike Goldman! The host of Big Brother Live! He is her pin up man! She never missed a show! Now here he was in the flesh right there in her lounge room. Mike was an absolute hero of the day he said all the right things, Listened to the story of Lilly Lump, signed her leg cast, made her laugh so much. What a great thing for him to do for a little girl. I am sure Jasmin's speedy recovery was all due to that visit! Thanks Mike!
The leg has healed well and physiotherapy has her walking again now. This story of how a little girl dealt with her 'Lily Lump' is a good example for us all!
© Violet Apted
Violet writes fror Bonzer! magazine. Please visit www.bonzer.org.au
