HOP Resident & A2B volunteer Stesi shares about his life-changing surgery
Today, when I look back… it seems like a long movie that lasted 18 years.
18 years of no flavour.
18 years without knowing what wet grass smells like, my mother’s aroma, warm bread coming out of the oven.
18 years without knowing what my childhood smelled like.
I couldn’t go on stage, because “this guy can’t talk, don’t bother with him” – they said to each other.
They didn’t know that my problem wasn’t me, it wasn’t my heart, it wasn’t my mind… it was something I didn’t choose.
I was told:
“Can you say that one more time? ”
“He doesn’t know what he’s talking about, does he speak Albanian? ”
And while they laughed, I was silent… wondering if I really was the problem.
I grew up with that feeling: as if every time I opened my mouth, someone would find a reason to judge or make fun of me!
Sinuses and polypoids were not just ailments – it was more than a huge physical pain, they were a thick curtain that separated me from the world, from its scent, from spring and the breaths of life!!
Above all, it separated me from myself…!
Then, the miracle after 18 years…!
And yes, miracles happen – not always when we want them, but always when we need them: at the perfect time came the excellent treatment at St. Luke’s Hospital in Thessaloniki, Greece!
Today, I smell it.
Today, I take a deep breath and “see” how each scent makes me feel really alive- I’m really alive!!
I feel like a baby breathing for the first time.
And in this breathing, I hear a quiet voice:
“I was there the whole time. ” – God.
This voice is of my God.
The one who taught me patience is not a weakness BUT a power.
That hope is not a dream BUT it is the anchor that keeps you alive when everything else is crumbling.
This sheet is just not for me.
This is for you – if you’re reading this and you’re where I was.
If you think it will never change.
If you are tired of explaining yourself, listening to people who judge you without knowing your story.
I want to tell you this:
Stay strong. Hold on to hope.
God is working even when it seems that He is silent.
And when the moment comes, the miracle will have more power because you didn’t give up.
Today, I am HEALED.
My heartfelt thanks go out to A2B Foundation Albania and to everyone who has been part of this journey – for every hand that extended, for every heart that believed in me, for every prayer and for every blessing that brought me here.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart!
