“Ellie’s Albatross” by Ron Prasad

Nowadays, tolerance is a trend. We are taught to accept whatever differences there exist between people and adapt our behaviour to fit everyone’s needs. But have we learnt to accept chronic illnesses as something that changes a sick’s person life completely and irrevocably? Or do we still expect these people to adapt to a lifestyle of the healthy?

I see here parallels with those expectations the society has for children. On the one hand, we all chant that every child is unique and it’s our duty to help children realise their potential. While on the other, we expect certain things from every little human irrespective of their emotional, psychological, and intellectual qualities. We expect children to always be responsive to our demands, to be quiet when it’s inappropriate to be otherwise, and to demonstrate only such deviations from the accepted behavioural patterns that would make them look cute and us look like modern and progressive parents.

It doesn’t work this way in both cases.

Ellie Price knows she is ill. What’s more, she suspects she won’t ever be fully healthy again. What she doesn’t know for sure is if it is possible to lessen her pain and suffering.

“Ellie’s Albatross” by Ron Prasad tells the story of how to find the strength not to give up even if it seems that there is no hope.

Ellie is lucky. If you can call someone who had to give up on almost everything that was important for them in their lives lucky. Still, Ellie isn’t alone. When suddenly the inexplicable symptoms began to appear and multiply, robbing a healthy, young woman of the job she loved and the activities that brought meaning to her life, Ellie’s husband Bishop was by her side. He supported her, helped her not to succumb to despair, and did everything to keep the fire of hope burning. Ellie and Bishop made important decisions together to increase the chances to find out what’s wrong with Ellie. And although it was incredibly hard for her to maintain faith in a favourable outcome due to so many disappointments, Ellie kept on fighting. Until one day, a new blow from fate took away the only thing that helped Ellie stay afloat.

“Ellie’s Albatross” is a story of losing and finding hope, of the importance of friendship, and of the extraordinary resilience of the human spirit.