By Ofentse Mahlaola – Grade 11
It all started with me chewing a sock, I did this everyday and it felt normal. I would sit in my bedroom and chew clothes while I was studying or writing my homework.
It was on a Monday morning when my mother came into my bedroom and found me chewing a cloth. She was so disturbed and immediately disciplined me as a parent, but this didn’t stop me from chewing my socks. I ignored her and kept doing the same thing over and over again. A couple of weeks down the line after school, I felt dizzy, weak and looked pale. My parents noticed this and took me to the nearest hospital.
I was very sick and scared. When I arrived at the hospital, the doctor examined my body and took blood tests, and was admitted for further observation. The doctor discovered that I had a disease called anaemia – a medical condition in which somebody has too few red cells in their blood, making them look pale and feel weak.
I was made to understand that this was caused by low iron in my body. The low iron caused me to have pica – this makes a person to eat or chew things like soap, chalk, clothes etc. I was given a blood transplant. Today, I am healthy and active. My iron is high and my pica has decreased. The blood transplant saved my life.
I learnt a lesson: “We should always listen to our parents when they talk or warn us about things we do as we will never know what will happen. My advice to all is that we should start Donating Blood and Save Lives!
