Empathy Stories: Circle of Life

The MiMi YouYou Show - Creating Empathy

"Mummy, who will die first, me or my cousin?"

Losing a child is reality that many people feel they could never survive. In this episode our guest talks us through her own journey facing the acute illness and loss of her young daughter. She recounts the conversations they had around life and death, and how terminal illness becomes a "truth serum" that leads to living life consciously connected to the things you love. She talks about pain and laughter and how they intertwine, and the complex balance of parenting one very sick child and another healthy child who has had their life thrown upside down as all energies focus on the recovery of their sibling.

She introduces us to a social educational concept called "The Circle of Love" and how this deeply African concept went from being a local school project to becoming a way she would live her life.

In listening to our guest, she teaches us that spending time with a child who is dying is a the secret to finding the true joy of living in the moment and she share how rare disease completely changes the way you see the role of community and friendship. She shares the unexpected meeting of strangers, the generosity of people all over the world and how a very special group of doctors rallied around her family.

Her story takes an additional turn when her niece is also diagnosed with a terminal illness in her teens, and how as a mother and aunt, she faces the unimaginable question from her daughter, "mummy, who will die first, me or my cousin?"

A difficult story which teaches us deep empathy for the journey and strength that comes with parenthood and supporting the people we love, and the power of generosity and conversation when facing life's most difficult moments.

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Music Credits: https://ncs.io/PLHome NCS / NoCopyrightSounds: Empowering Creators through No Copyright & Royalty Free Music