Fear Not

Last night we were grateful to have dinner with some wonderful friends that we have known for 8 years now, who live right here in Segrate. We met them in the most unusual way and we are so grateful that we did.

It will be 8 years this summer that we were here for a checkup for the kids, and this one particular day it was the MRI and lumbar puncture, so we were pushing the kids back to our residence in two strollers as they were wobbly from anesthesia.

We went into the grocery store on the way home to gather some things, and before we knew it, Ella had gotten up out of her stroller and was gone. The store is small so we thought we would find her around another aisle but after looking everywhere we realized she was not there. As we split up looking in closets and the back of the store, the frantic feelings set in. We could not speak the language well and in that moment I forget how to say daughter in Italian to say she was missing. Within ten minutes a crowd gathered and shortly after the police. Time was ticking and with the fear growing, I noticed a woman who could speak English. She came right over and started asking what was happening and relaying it to the police. When the officer asked us for pictures we did not have a phone on us, so Hut went to run back to our room at the residence. This wonderful woman stayed with me and helped as much as she could for the next fifteen minutes as we waited for Hut to get back. With Ella nowhere in sight it was getting scarier by the moment, until we saw him coming over the bridge with Ella by his side.

Ella had left us and somehow she managed to go more than a half a mile to our residence, up the elevator as it stopped at the second floor she continued to the fourth floor and walked to the end of three hallways to our room and waited for one of us at the door. To this day, we are not sure how she made it back alone except the believe she had someone watching over her.

My now friend Federica stayed with us and helped us in these moments where we did not know what would come next. Later that evening we went to dinner at the local restaurant and I remember her and her husband were there. She sent over a drink for us and we chatted a bit about the day. This started our friendship that would span the years that we have been here in Milan.

Every visit to Milan, Federica, her husband Francesco and their three daughters would have us for dinner at their home or we would meet at the local China Town for lovely company.

Last night we had one last amazingly cooked Italian supper together at their home and it was so wonderful being with them again.

I would never be able to express just how grateful we were for her that day, and how much we have appreciated their friendship over the years.

Strangers suddenly becoming friends! This is not the first time this has happened during our journey in Milan but it surely is one that we will never forget!

Many thanks to this beautiful family that will forever remain in our heart!

~ by Rebecca on April 27, 2023.

Posted in Along the way, Back to life and living, Diagnosed, Life after diagnosis, living, Milan, the ride of my life
Tags: acceptance, anxiety, challenge, clinical trial, day by day, eli and ella, Eli and Ellas Prayer Warriors, Enjoythemoment, family, Fear, friends, gene therapy, God, gratitude, gray itude, happiness, Hero, hope, journey, joy, learning, lessons, life, Love, memories, metachromatic leukodystrophy, Milan, MLD, never give up, normalcy, rare disease, sadness, sorrow, special needs, strangers, strength, thankful, warriors