NAAFIYAN AHMED, BANGLADESH

April 14, 2019

“I spent the first 12 years of my life literally just playing video games and hanging out with friends, sparing my studies, ecas, sports or anything really, minimal attention, which doesn’t sound much like a life —I’ll begrudgingly admit—but 13 year old me thought it was pretty lit. A month into grade 6 though, I got diagnosed with this rare viral infection in the brain known as encephalitis which basically causes memory loss, constant migraines, sensitivity to light and sound and partial paralysis of my entire left side. The only recovery option was to wait it out. So I waited for a year at home, then spent another year getting home schooled to catch up. All this isolation at home while seeing all my friends move on with their lives, along with my inability to do anything slowly but surely pushed me into a depressed state. I managed to fight that though and the second I got back to school I started working my ass off, appreciating people and everything I’d taken for granted before I knew what it felt like watching all the things you loved doing become too hard and nearly impossible to do. I got into sports and onto the soccer team, participated in a bunch of clothes drives and food drives and even helped set up water filters all over the city to help those who don't have access to clean water due to poverty. It was like I just couldn’t get enough of being up and able again. I even learnt programming as well and I'm currently learning the guitar.

Basically after getting better my only goal in life was to make the most out of it and do the most with my time whilst it’s still mine to exploit. Four years ago I could barely imagine existing outside the four walls of my bedroom and fast forward I’m borders away from home,in China, with an imagination that knows no bounds. It’s been good.”