Goodbye, Mr. Regret

Over the years, Jessica had always made sure Henry ate well and had a balanced diet, so there was no way he could be suffering from malnutrition.

She simply couldn't believe Henry had suddenly fallen ill with something so serious. If this couldn't be cured, he'd need blood transfusions for the rest of his life. How could a little boy's body handle that? Especially now, when he was still growing.

"Please don't worry," the doctor reassured her gently. "There is a treatment for this condition. As long as we perform a stem cell transplant, there's a very high chance of success."

Jessica shook her head. "I'm not worried about the surgery itself. Can you tell me what caused Henry's aplastic anemia?"

The doctor answered patiently, "So far, we haven't found anything unusual. There are many possible causes for aplastic anemia, but we can't give you a definite answer right now."

As they spoke, two nurses wheeled Henry's hospital bed out of the exam room.

He had IVs in both arms, an oxygen tube under his nose, and was hooked up to monitors Jessica didn't recognize. He was still unconscious, his face deathly pale, lips drained of all color. He looked so frail, barely alive.

Jessica moved instinctively toward him, her heart twisting with pain. She'd told herself she could stay detached, but seeing her son like this, so weak and helpless, broke her resolve. He'd always been such a lively, mischievous little thing.

Tears choked her, her breath catching as her legs threatened to give out.

Even though the doctor said Henry could recover, a stem cell transplant wasn't a minor procedure. He'd suffer so much-before, during, and after the surgery.

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