There I was on the ground, confused about what was happening after a drastic occurrence. This day was one of the scariest days ever. I’m 12 now, but I was 8 when I fainted.

It started out as a normal Sunday. I was at church, and everything was just fine. The actual church for adults was done, so my grandma, my little sister Brooklee, and I were going to the kids’ class. Everything was going great; I was having fun, and so was Brooklee. It was closer to the end of the hour, and we all made cookies.

At the end, I started not to feel great. Soon, I got really dizzy and got scared. I couldn’t control my legs. My fear grew. I was so dizzy that I went backwards, hit a door knob, and fell down. I sat there for a few seconds and then got up. I went over to my grandma and said, “I can’t see.”

My grandma looked like she was scared too. Her face was as white as a sheet. She helped me up the stairs, we got outside, and down I went. I was only out for a few seconds.

“Brooklee, go get help!’’ I heard my grandma say in a shaky voice. When I got up, I was so confused about what was going on. My grandma helped me inside and put me on the couch. I was surrounded by people I didn’t know.

I thought this was maybe a hoax. I was just making myself think I fainted, but nope—this was all real. There I was, laying on the couch and holding my glasses.

Soon, these two men came in; they were both wearing black tuxes. They came to me, put their hands on my head, and prayed. This is called a blessing.

My grandma wanted to take me to the hospital, but I said no because I was too scared. After I got the blessing, we went back to my grandma’s house, and I laid on the couch. There I was for a while. Soon, my grandma came in and asked me, “Elodie, are you feeling okay enough to go home?”

“Yes,” I mumbled. My parents had been four hours away with my other sister for a basketball tournament, but they came back and were there when I got home. When I was home, all I really did was rest. I had a lot of doctor’s appointments to try to figure out why I fainted.

A few days after this happened, I was in such a good mood that we were going to one of my favorite restaurants. Unfortunately, this joy did not last that long. After doing a lot of doctor’s appointments, we found out that I have a problem with my heart. Everything felt so different. For a while, I just lingered around the house.

Since this tragic event, I’ve had to go to a heart specialist every three years. I am now 12 and just fine, but going through this, I learned that your family will always be there for you. I know that life can be hard sometimes, but if you talk to your parents, brother, or sister, it will make you feel a lot better.

Sometimes, it’s relieving to know you can just go home and talk to your family about your life.

© Elodie. All rights reserved. If you are interested in quoting this story, contact the national team and we can put you in touch with the author’s teacher.