Eleanor Roosevelt once said, ‘A woman is like a tea bag. You never know how strong it is until its in hot water’. A lot of men will not get the chance to see this metaphor lived out in their lifetime, but I count myself privileged to have a front row seat to the ultimate Power of a Woman. In January 2019, our daughter Zuri, now 6, was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. Yes, the world crumbled right beneath our feet, but this post is not about the turmoil that comes with dealing with childhood cancer. This is a celebration of the unbelievable power that lives inside every woman. You see, our little circle of parents, doctors and nurses dealing with childhood Leukemia have all come to one conclusion; mothers are literally the ones that WILL their children to recover from life threatening diseases.
As soon as the initial blood work, screenings, surgeries and prognosis are through, doctors prefer if the child is released back home, instead of staying at the hospital unnecessarily. Not only are the children more prone to infections while in hospital, the familiarity of the home environment reduces their anxiety levels. Now this is where the true power of the woman manifests. Armed with a basket-load of prescriptions, hygiene and quarantine requirements, the parents now have to deliver home care treatment while still recovering from news of the diagnosis.
Dietary changes, sanitation, repeated checks for any signs of infections, timed and measured water in-takes, nocturnal temperature checks every two hours, entertaining the child because visitors are not allowed, ensuring a child consumes a minimal number of fruits every day… the daily list of critical activities that NEED to be adhered to is mind-boggling. I have watched as my partner followed, and still does to date, every single instruction given to us by our able doctor. It was therefore with unbridled joy that 6 months into her treatment, Zuri was declared to be in transmission, and responding well to her medication. My partner’s sleepless nights and a never-ending obsession with following the home care protocol to the letter counted for everything.
I don’t know how to quantify that magic that lives in every woman. And maybe it has to be experienced to be appreciated fully. All I know is that I could never do half of the things she had to do every day to the level of detail that she does. I have a deeper appreciation for that seemingly abstract yet fully demonstratable ability of a woman to do the impossible. That ability to harness unfathomable depths of reserve and power themselves through challenges.
Perhaps we don’t need to wait for hot water to see how strong the Power of a Woman stretches. If we look around us, countless stories abound showing women changing the African narrative. Society has repeatedly boxed women, resulting in a terrible imbalance that we now know can only be reversed by giving more leadership roles to women. As a father to two beautiful strong-willed girls, I know that this power is innate, and intend to nurture it. And the first thing I’m doing is learning HOW. What better way to start than to listen to powerful women sharing their stories on Power to Our Women Livecast?
