In the name of Allah. The Most Gracious. The Most Merciful
Assalamu'alaikum, everyone!!
"Being a hero doesn't mean you're invincible. It just means that you're brave enough to stand up and do what's needed."
~Piper McLean (Heroes of Olympus: The Mark of Athena)~
Alhamdulillah. Still alive and well (physically, maybe. Mentally, doubtful XD) on God's earth. The past year has been crazy. College so far is a whirlwind but I managed to get through it. I'm sort of dreading my last semester. Partly because, it's THE FINAL semester. Mostly it's because I'm gonna have to get a job. Oh such fun.
:-|
Anyway, it occurred to me that this is my first post of 2017. I was waiting for a good idea for a post. I didn't get a good idea for a post. Instead, I got the PERFECT post............
Introducing Dayang Deno!
She has SLE or more commonly known as lupus. The way she explains it, imagine your immune system are soldiers and you're the commanding officer. Instead of attacking the baddies in your system like you told them to, they attack the healthy tissues and organs in the body, going rogue. Picture yourself in her shoes. You go for all these treatments and get all these drugs pumped into you. I'm squirming just typing it write now. OK, imagine having to go through it for 18 years. And for all those years till now, knowing that there is NO CURE.
:'-(
Honestly speaking, I HAVE heard of lupus even before I ran into her blog but I never knew what it's about. But after reading her posts, one after another, and also seeing her updates on other social media, I basically got the idea. After knowing not even half of what she's been through, all I could think was "I gotta meet her". Alhamdulillah, I did!
I had something going on at college. And no, I'm not that rajin to go to UTM masa tengah cuti. Not yet anyway. It was not really academic-related. So anywho, I went to meet up with Deno soon after. I didn't know what I was expecting to be honest. I was sitting at one of the bookstores at the "undisclosed location" where we met, reading, and I saw this person creeping up on me like I was gonna attack. The second she said "Syauqi?", I was like "Hiiiiiii!!!!!!". Haha!!
We had lunch and got to know each other better. We talked about almost everything. Friends, family, life. Most importantly, she educated me on what she has. She told me stories about how it affected her life, how she dealt with it. I guess one of them was seeking refuge in the art of doodling.
Haha! I got this 5 years ago when I went on that 2-month Euro trip. I may have short hair now but that was basically me back then. I'm telling you guys, her doodles are AMAZING. She sometimes get requests from people to doodle and to me, she's a big deal in Malaysia's doodling scene. The detail of them, so intricate. The significance of most of her doodles is also something. I have 2 left hands (sort of the equivalent of 2 left feet). I don't actually know how to draw. She showed me her work after we were finished eating and just chatting. Like the artist herself, they were beautiful. Check 'em out on her page by clicking her name earlier in the post.
I gotta be honest, hearing her tell her stories of coping with lupus, going for 'umrah with that condition, dealing with haters from all sides and STILL having that smile on her face and just giving out positive vibes wherever she goes, I nearly choked up (Sebak, wei. Sikit je lagi nak leleh air mata). I don't know. I just can't imagine going through all of it. Very rarely you get to meet people who can inspire you. I look up to our Prophet P.B.U.H and Roger Federer but meeting them is sort of out of the question (the former because he's no longer with us and the latter. Well, c'mon. It's Roger). Meeting this pretty little lady was eye-opening and inspiring to say the least. I had so much fun yesterday. It was a privilege and honor and hopefully we'll meet again, In Sya-Allah.
We could've gone on and on and would still find other things to talk about but I guess I had to beat the traffic. That failed miserably by the way. A sneak peek to what the working life will be I reckon. The traffic was crazy! But you know what? It was worth it. Here are some shots we took...........
Little Miss Deno, I hope only the best for you and may Allah S.W.T Bless you and protect you always. Aamiin. In Sya-Allah. And don't lose that smile! Haha!
:-D
See you guys on the flip side!!
P.S: Do me a favour and check out her page, guys! She's awesome!
