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2007-12-09 17:29 |
Few weeks ago, wawa recommended me to watch this drama serial.Yesterday, i watched the movie on ‘One Litre of Tears’. Immenselytouched by the short movie, i continued to watch the drama serial.
This drama is about a girl who was diagnosed with a disease calledSpinocerebellar Atrophy, in which the nerve cells of areas necessaryfor the human body to move and balance–including the cerebellum, brainstem, and spinal cord–transform and eventually disappear. when she was15 years old, and was able to continue her life until her death at theage of 25 years old.
The plot is based on the true story of a Japanese girl named KitoAya, who had the same disease. She kept writing in her diary toremember her experiences until she could no longer hold a pen. Ayasimply wished to live until the end of her life, and the purpose ofwriting in the diary was to remind herself to not give up. She shedtears many times, at the same time encompassed by the rich love andsupport from her family, friends, and boyfriend. Her diary “1 Litre ofTears” was published after her death, because of its inspiring andcourageous message of, “Just being alive is such a lovely and wonderfulthing.”
Synopsis:
Ikeuchi Aya (Sawajiri Erika), a 15 year old girl, is the eldestdaughter in a normal Japanese family. She lives with her reliablemother, Shioka, who works as a nutritionist, her father, Mizuo, thewacky owner of a tofu shop, her quiet younger brother, Hiroki, and twoyounger sisters, the sarcastic Ako and innocent Rika. On the day of herhigh school entrance exam, she left the house full of energy, but shemissed her stop to get off the bus and walk to her high school becauseshe fell asleep. She quickly got off and ran from the bus in the rainwhen she discovered she was late. She slipped, fell down and injuredher knee. At that time, she met Haruto Aso, who was trying to skip theexam. He gave her a ride to school, the administrators allowed them totake the exam (despite the fact that Haruto was uninterested in takingit), which they both later passed.
The new semester began, Aya and Haruto were in the same class, andboth were elected as the representative of their class. Aya also joinedthe basketball team, and was reunited with the boy who she was fond offrom the male basketball team. Just as she was beginning to enjoy herhigh school days, Aya starts to experience some physical difficulties.She always dropped food from her chopsticks, could not estimate thedistance of the objects in front of her, could not pour water into acup without spilling it, and occasionally wobbled while walking. Hermother, Shioka, who was the only one to notice the physical changes inAya, started to worry about what was going on.
One day, Aya’s life started to change after she tripped and fell.She couldn’t protect herself with her hands while falling and she hurther face. After this, her illness is slowly revealed and her tragedybegins…
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My first reaction was to google what is this SCA all about.
Spinocerebellar ataxia (SCA) is one of a group of genetic disorderscharacterized by slowly progressive incoordination of gait and oftenassociated with poor coordination of hands, speech, and eye movements.Frequently, atrophy of the cerebellum occurs.
As with other forms of ataxia, SCA results in unsteady and clumsymotion of the body due to a failure of the fine coordination of musclemovements, along with other symptoms.
There is no known cure for spinocerebellar ataxia, which is aprogressive disease (it gets worse with time), although not all typescause equally severe disability.
Treatments are generally limited to softening symptoms, not the diseaseitself. The condition can be irreversible. A person with this diseasewill usually end up needing to use a wheelchair, and eventually theymay need assistance to perform daily tasks.
Kito Ayo. At the peak of a teens life at a age of only 15 yrs old,she was told of her incurable disease. Incurable? Meaning death call isawaiting and welcoming? Soon, she was couldn’t run about withoutfalling clumsily, couldn’t walk properly as her legs weaken day by day,and eventually lost her mobility to a wheelchair. She lost her school,and friends who eventually got tired of looking after her and herfuture. Each day, she woke up in fear, and progressively losing thethings she owned and herself.’ Why me?’ and ‘Whats my purpose in life?’were the two questions that hunted her everyday? Nevertheless, with thelove and support from her family, she fights to live on and she foundher purpose to write about her life and did not stop even she wasbed-ridden. Finally, she did when she lost her arms mobility andeventually her speech movements.
To us human, hope is what makes us look forward in life. Hope tobecome rich, hope to have a good career, hope to find the best partner,HOPE. How would one feel when you know that everything of yourself willbe robed off slowly and progressively? No matter how positive or howstrong, how would you live on? What I greatly admire about Aya is herwill to help people and make a difference even til the end of her life,that unyielding and purposeful spirit.
For me, I have always been in search of my purpose in life. I lovemy family more than anything, i want to give them the best of theworlds- and it makes me sad to think of my limitations. I am alsoblessed to have many friends who have made me what I am today. Wawa, aiand yan- who never gave up on me and love me whatever the person i wasand am. My monstas who cherished me as a friend all this while. Despitemy anger and impulsive actions, i really treasure our friendship.During my uni life, i met many great friends who helped me discover mypotentials and believed in me. My string friends- kyong, jess, angela,yiting, chris, all of you who helped make NTU String Orchestrapossible. My CAC friends- Hoi, Dione, Jeff and everyone for giving mesuch a memorable life in CAC. I’m especially grateful to Jeff andKyong, who not only believed in me, but made me believe in myself thatlead me to pursue my impossible missions, and overcoming each and everyobstacles along the way. At the end of the day, it’s the process thatmakes the best memories.
When i start working, in the last 6mths, i start to feel i’m losingmyself and gradually hiding in the defensive shell of mine. I dare notface anyone or anything, only hating myself for the despair that i’mbringing upon myself. Because of my limitations on technical abilitiesand mistakes, i chose to run and seek a new career. I told myself thisis not what I want, what i want is to succeed as a salesperson, thechallenge above it all. After yesterday, i question myself again. Wouldi say that i’m not suited to be a salesperson after 6 mths?
Ayo accomplished her mission in life of helping people becoz of herinspirational diaries that lit the light of life for many. I believe mymission in life is to make a difference to help people too. I used tothink I can only people when i am successful in life in order toqualify, but look at Ayo. Being healthy and able, shouldn’t i, we startdoing our part?
Great inspired by this story, I’ve to re-organize my thoughts and decisions…
Lastly, to anyone who reads this post, I strongly urge you to watchthis show ‘1 Litre of Tears’ which I believe will help find the meaningand purpose in life.
Written by zephyrico
Sawajiri Erika China: http://sawajiri-erika.cn/2007/12/one-litre-of-tears.html
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