It's A New Dawn, It's A New Day

     She was one of those girls who was born beautiful. At 17 years old, she had matured into a smart, classy, kind, and friendly young woman. Not only was she popular, she was President of the Student Council and Valedictorian of her senior graduating class. Boasting a 4.0 average, and holding down an after-school job as a production assistant at the town’s local newspaper, she was destined for great success. As if all of these accolades were not enough, she was an usher at her church, an up and coming missionary, and taught children’s Sunday School at the Greater New Mount Hope Baptist Church of Buffalo, New York. Dawn was the apple of her mom and dad’s eye, and the youngest of the Lewis clan, which boasted an additional nine more bright and equally accomplished children. The entire family doted on Dawn, the baby of the family, who never once gave her parents or superiors an ounce of trouble. 

     Although far from being conceited, like any young woman coming of age, most days, the mirror was her best friend. The only exception to the mirror holding such a distinguished place of honor and esteem were the days those unwanted visitors called zits, came calling. Dawn hated the days that acne invaded the lovely high and chiseled cheek bones of her ecru toned and otherwise flawless complexion. 

    Spring was in the air, and the magnolias were in bloom effortlessly leaving their fragrant and sweet-smelling fragrance wafting through the air. The day of the prom would soon be here. Dawn, her best friend Georgia, and their respective moms, had made it a day of shopping to help the girls find their perfect dresses, followed by a tasty lunch at the Buffalo Garden Inn. Although Dawn had quite a few sisters, being the baby, the sisters were all married and raising children of their own, which left Dawn finding refuge and comfort with her bestie, Georgia, who was an only child. They were, to coin a popular phrase, “Sisters from another mother!” 

       The day of the prom had finally arrived, and it was certain that Dawn and Georgia would be the proverbial bells of the ball on the arms of their very handsome dates. As destiny would have it, the girls dated brothers, Trevon and Jonathan, who attended an all-boys high school on the other side of town. Although the boys were popular as well, they were not your typical arrogant football jocks, but instead, were known for their dashing good looks, great manners, and award-winning intelligence. Trevon and Jonathan had decided when they were only seven years old, after witnessing a tragic accident one day while riding with their parents, that they would dedicate themselves to saving the lives of others.

      Finishing the final touches of her make-up and hair, Dawn gently stepped her slender, 5’5”, small-boned frame into the gorgeous baby blue floor-length gown trimmed in silver sequins she and her mom had picked out together. The gown accented her smooth ecru complexion and the gorgeous red locks framing her high cheekbones and sparkling brown eyes. There was no acne tonight, thank God! 

Slipping into her sequined silver high heels, Dawn stepped away from her closet in a grand sweeping gesture fit for a princess. As she rounded the corner of her chest of drawers heading for the full-length mirror to take in the full view of Cadillac High’s 2022 Prom Queen, something dreadful happened! “Oh nooooo,” Dawn cried, with a blood curdling scream that sent her mom and dad running up their circular staircase at breakneck speed. Her right leg had somehow betrayed her, as she was sure she did not trip on anything because the carpeted floor of her bedroom was completely clean. Dawn found herself writhing in unbearable pain in her right leg. As her mom, Hilary and dad, Jeff, flung open Dawn’s bedroom door, they found their daughter doubled over in a fetal position in obviously great pain and distress. Dawn was delirious and seemingly talking out of her head as she fired off a rapid stream of questions… “Mom, dad, what is happening? Where did this pain come from? Why now? Oh noooo… It’s prom night!” There was no time to waste, as Jeff held Dawn tightly in his arms, Hilary quickly dialed 9-1-1, realizing that any questions that needed to be asked would be asked when help arrived.

    At the hospital, Dawn’s friends, Georgia, Trevon, and Jonathan, along with her parents, Hilary and Jeff, paced back and forth impatiently about the emergency waiting room searching themselves for answers as to what may have gone wrong. 

     Finally, perhaps they would have an explanation as to what was going on with their daughter as a doctor came out of the examination room with a worried look and frown on his face. Calling Jeff and Hilary aside, Dr. Dewberry, the head of Emergency Medicine at St. Mary’s Hospital, explained that they had taken x-rays of Dawn’s leg, along with a complete CT scan to rule out something more insidious than a sprain or broken leg, especially since Dawn had not fallen recently. 

Dr. Dewberry, being a seasoned professional with a “Father Knows Best” bedside manner, immediately put Hilary and Jeff at ease by letting them know that Dawn was resting comfortably. Both of her parents breathed a deep, albeit short-lived, sigh of relief. Giving them a moment to collect themselves, Dr. Dewberry sorrowfully informed Hilary and Jeff that the culprit in Dawn’s fall was weakened bones due to leukemia. “L-E-U-K-E-M-I-A,” cried Hilary, as she collapsed in a heap of tears in her husband’s arms. Weeping uncontrollably, Dr. Dewberry gave them a few more minutes to collect themselves before informing them that they would begin a round of chemotherapy as early as the next week, if they had their permission to proceed. 

Being the solid friends they had always been, once Dawn was made comfortable, Georgia, Trevon, and Jonathan celebrated their prom at the bedside of their dear friend shedding a few tears, but sharing much more laughter than sorrow. Considering her faith in God, and remembering all of the scriptures she had learned from a child, it was now time for Dawn to go about the journey of putting her trust in God to the ultimate test.

     With six long months spent in the hospital, the protocol for Dawn’s treatment consisted of chemotherapy, radiation, and stem cell transplants. The medical staff made the decision to hit the leukemia that was threatening the promising future of this brilliant young woman with every weapon they had in their arsenal. 

      Finally, that blessed day had come! Dawn was given an “all clear of leukemia” diagnosis and allowed to go home to her family and friends. After greeting a houseful of folks, and, of course, Georgia, Trevon, and Jonathan, she thanked everyone for their love and support before turning in to rest for the night. 

Believe it or not, it had been a very long stretch in the hospital, and in bed, and during that time, it was very rare, especially in the latter months of her hospitalization, for Dawn to even care to see a mirror.  

As her eyes fluttered open, stretching, thanking God, and waking up fully from a very restful night in her own bed, Dawn decided to shower, get dressed, and join her family for breakfast. As she sauntered slowly over to the very same mirror which she had attempted to look in on that fateful day of her “almost” prom, this time, her legs cooperated. As she took that final step lining up with to see the reflection of her image in the mirror, Dawn, once more, let out a blood-curdling scream, which could be heard a mile away. Rushing up the stairs not knowing what was happening with their baby girl this time, her parents found Dawn in a heap of tears on the floor crying her heart out. Holding her tightly in their arms, once Jeff and Hilary were able to comfort her to a point where she could speak, Dawn began crying out that she did not know the person staring back at her in the mirror! “That’s not me,” she screamed! “Who is that?” Dawn had been a very fair-skinned and slender young African American woman when she left for the hospital six months beforehand. Now, it seems, due to the daily onslaught of steroids, chemotherapy, and radiation treatments, she had gained quite a bit of weight, and although still very pretty, the girl staring back at her in the mirror was a very dark ebony version of the girl she had once known. Her beautiful high cheek bones were now very gaunt, and her eyes were drooping minus that notable sparkle they once held. 

Although the change happened gradually, who could imagine the shock of one day seeing a completely different person in the mirror than the one you have seen and always known your entire life. 

After spending some time grieving the past, being comforted by family and friends, coupled with prayer and meditation, Dawn made peace with the past and simply accepted that from now on it would be, “A New Dawn, and a New Day!