Brody has an interest in being a cybersecurity analyst when he gets older, which he is already studying through a JTED program.  He was inspired to write this essay by this traumatic event and the doctor who helped him, who he still thinks about to this day. 

The smallest actions we take in life can have the biggest impact. That even an unnoticeable action to you can mean the world to another. One in one hundred babies are born with a heart defect, I was one of them. Because of this, at 6 months of age, I had to have open heart surgery. Ever since then, I’ve had regular checkups and MRIs throughout my life.

One year I had a scheduled MRI, and like always I was feeling nervous. Step by step the procedure was the same, get into a hospital gown, lay down, and try to not freak out as they stuck an IV into my arm (I always hated that part). After that it was a breeze, all I had to do was lie down and hold my breath when they told me to. Once it was all over me and my mom went to get our normal celebratory ice cream for getting through the scary IV part. We returned home within an hour and my life went back to normal. But a week later, we got a call out of the blue telling us that something was wrong and we needed to schedule a meeting to discuss the MRI results.

My nerves went through the roof once I heard the news. Going back to the hospital earlier than expected was tough. The bright artificial lights, the smell of alcohol clouding the air as we entered different rooms, and the overwhelming sound of medical equipment made me feel even more anxious. Finally, we had the chance to talk to the doctors and surgeons about my condition. They informed us that there was a major problem with my heart that required emergency surgery.

Hearing this shattered me completely, and I couldn’t help but break down into tears in that room. One of the doctors noticed how hard this was for me and decided to take me for a walk around the hospital. We explored various rooms and even stopped by the cafeteria, where he told me I could get in line and pick out a candy. I chose Skittles, and those seemingly insignificant Skittles turned out to be the most important piece of candy in my life. They gave me a sense of comfort during that difficult meeting.

About a week after that day, I was picked up from school in the usual spot and my mom received a call saying that there had been a huge mistake with my information on file. There was no need for any surgery anytime soon. A wave of happiness and relive washed over me that day. This one experience served as a powerful reminder of just how crucial the little things in life are.