THE FORMIDABLE KILLER 💀

HEALTH SERIES

Volume 1

Sep 10, 2024

A FORMIDABLE KILLER

          The room was quiet and dark except for the corner where she was seated. For the past hour Jessie Quake had been staring at none other than the screen of her desktop. The stillness of the 

room was only disturbed by the gasp in her breath, the clicking of the keyboard and the ticking on the wall clock.

          Before now she'd spent the most of her lunch period with the biology teacher, Miss Jones who had taken keen interest in the girl, they'd just had a lecture on the disease of the liver called Hepatitis. The entire concept of the disease right from it's conception up until it terminates the life of the patient was a lot intriguing to her and she needed to know more.

     "What is Hepatitis really about and why is it so fatal?" She'd asked Miss Jones

     "Hepatitis! my dear" as Miss Jones began her narrative about the concept 

     "Hepatitis is defined as an inflammation of the liver which is caused by a virus, much reason it’s referred to as viral hepatitis".

     "Is it deadly, Miss Jones?"

     "Yes it is my dear. Hepatitis can cause liver damage, making it difficult for your liver to function as it should"

     "Wow !!!" The young girl seemed astonished, she'd known a little bit about the virus being a deadly

specie of micro organisms which was fatal enough to cause the death of any other organisms.

     "Most types of viral hepatitis are contagious" Miss Jones continued and Jesse listened to her speak. "But you can reduce your risk by getting vaccinated for types A and B and by taking other preventive steps, including using a condom during sex and not sharing needles"

          Miss Jones smiled " For a young girl you gotta be careful of all this boys you know" Jessie laughed. She had no boyfriends so she wasn't bothered about 

contacting through sexual intercourse.

           Just then the bell rang and she promised to come back the following day to learn more about this demon called Hepatitis.

          And a few hours after dinner, she was seated at her desktop. She was done with her homework and with helping mother in the kitchen. She'd just ended a documentary on wildlife, fascinated mostly with the relationship of the mother elephant and her calf. She was reflecting on the fact that an animal could possess such maternal instincts.

          By 11:30 she was already drosy, but then she remembered her earlier discussion with Miss Jones and decided on surfing the internet for more facts 

and relatives. She'd spent a few minutes reading an article on the subject when a story headline popped up on her screen and she clicked to read.

          The story began. Maria was a young woman but her appearance couldn't tell anymore. She lived in the small village of Orion, in South Carolina. For the past weeks she'd had little or no strength and she'd laid on her bed, weak and frail. She had been suffering from hepatitis for months and despite the efforts of her doctors, the disease had progressed rapidly. Maria's husband, John, sat beside her, holding her hand and trying to comfort her. Their children, two young boys, played quietly in the corner of the room, unaware of the gravity of their mother's condition. 

          As the days went by, Maria's condition worsened. She became jaundiced, her skin turning a pale yellow, and her eyes took on a glassy sheen. She was in constant pain, and her liver was failing.

          One day, John took Maria to the hospital, hoping that the doctors could do something to save her. But it was too late. The hepatitis had progressed too far, and Maria's liver was beyond repair. As the sun set on that fateful day, Maria closed her eyes for the last time, surrounded by her loved ones. Her death was a tragedy, a reminder of the devastating effects of hepatitis.

           John was consumed by grief, his world shattered by the loss of his beloved wife. The children, too young to understand, cried for their mother, missing her warm embrace and loving smile. The village mourned Maria's passing, remembering her kindness, her smile, and her generosity. She was a bright light, extinguished too soon by a cruel disease.

          As the seasons passed, John and the children learned to live with their loss, but they never forgot Maria, the woman who had brought so much joy and love into their lives. Her memory lived on, a reminder of the fragility of life and the importance of cherishing every moment.

          As Jesse read about Maria's story, she could feel the sting of losing someone so dear, she'd lost her Father to a motor crash at the age of ten. She felt pity for John and the children. She scrolled down the page on the computer and found another story. She clicked and skimmed through the page. She read 

silently.

          Ana Benny had always been a vibrant and energetic person, but over the past year, she had become increasingly fatigued and weak. At first, she brushed it off as stress from work, but as the months went by, her symptoms worsened. She 

experienced persistent nausea, abdominal pain, and jaundice. 

          After a series of tests, Ana received the devastating diagnosis: chronic hepatitis B, which had progressed to liver cirrhosis. She was only 22 years old. Ana's family was shocked and heartbroken. Her mother, Rachel, became her 

primary caregiver. She abandoned her coffee business to support her only daughter, but despite the efforts of her medical team, Ana's condition 

continued to deteriorate.

          As the weeks passed, Ana's once-luminous skin turned a pale yellow, and her eyes lost their sparkle, the pretty Ana was becoming a shadow of herself. She struggled to eat, sleep, or even walk. Rachel held her hand through every painful moment, whispering words of love and encouragement. One fateful night, Ana's liver failed. She was rushed to the hospital, where the doctors fought to save her. But it was too late. Surrounded by family, her best friend, and loved ones, Ana took her last breath, leaving behind a legacy of love, laughter, and memories.

          The family mourned Ana's passing, remembering her strength, resilience, and 

unwavering optimism. Ana's story serves as a poignant reminder of the devastating impact of hepatitis and the importance of early detection, 

prevention, and treatment. Her memory lives on, inspiring others to cherish every moment and fight against this silent killer.

          As she finished reading the story of Ana, Jessie felt her eyes twitching, or could she be crying. She was sad about the painful deaths of the ladies in the story and deliberately was even more expectant of the next day. She was anxious to hear more about this demon which she would call the formidable killer.

Written by

Odusola Ayomikun David