The Request
His jaw ticked as he pointed at her as he banged his fist against the desk. “Take it off now,” he roared. Her stomach churned with fear as she realized what had happened. Clearly, the teacher was serious.
It wasn't clear to her what would happen if she didn't comply. She should have been informed of the father's identity before the teacher chose to single her out.
Not Feeling Good
With a burning gaze, he stalked closer to her. “Maddy, I told you to take off your hat! As she prepared to state her case, she stammered, "but." It was impossible for her to comply with the teacher's request. Especially not today.
As the medicine continued to pump through her body, she struggled to cope with the pain that had now become a part of her life. As if she didn't have enough energy to face such confrontation head-on, she barely made it to school today. Wouldn't it be better if the teacher listened to her argument?
Anger
As the teacher walked towards Maddy Dunham, she took a deep breath. Sitting with her fingers together, her lips quivered. She had become frozen by pain and fear merging within her.
When the teacher reached her vicinity, he was enraged. He roared, "I'm not going to repeat myself." As quickly as he could, he grabbed her cap, yanking it off. In the moments following the revelation, gasps filled the atmosphere. Maddy's only wish was for the end to come quickly and painlessly.
Wanting Something Different
There was an expectation that this semester would be different for Maddy. She had wished with everything in her being that things would improve for the last two years.
She felt like her wish had finally been granted for the first time in a long time. Maddy could now return to school after suffering from the pain she'd been experiencing. There was no way for her to know what awaited her.
Unkindness
Nonetheless, wearing that hat wasn't a choice she enjoyed. As much as she hoped for something different, something that wouldn't expose her deepest insecurities, this was not what she got.
The entire class stared at her as she sat in that chair, some of them giggling while others were awash with pity. Her world was becoming unfair as she discovered. The whole thing began with a birthday party.
Out Of Nowhere
Two years prior, Maddy's issues began during her best friend's birthday celebration. Her day was going well until she suddenly felt a sharp pain in her chest. She was only eleven years old and didn't understand what was happening.
Looking around, she thought one of her friends had accidentally stabbed her. All of the festivities were going on at the same time and no one was aware of what she was going through. The situation would only worsen from there.
Unbearable Pain
A second jolt of pain struck, this time more severe. The pain erupted in Maddy's chest and she shouted in pain. The third wave struck her, sweeping her feet and shoulders in agony.
As the pain in her brain settled, she spiraled to the ground. It was impossible for her to explain what was happening. It was clear to her that her life would never be the same again.
Waking Up
A bright white light was shining above Maddy when she awoke. A light, similarly colored gown adorned her light blue sheets.
She sat beside her mom with tears in her eyes as a strange man dressed in a white coat spoke to her. When Maddy awoke, they all remained silent.
Confusion
It was clear to Maddy that the situation was grave despite only being eleven years old. There was no doubt in her mind that her mom was among the strongest people in the world. Something terrible must have occurred for her to shed tears like this.
“What’s happening, Mommy?” Maddy asked, and her mother explained everything. “You’ll be fine,” she insisted midway through her explanation. “You and I will beat this thing, okay?”
The Diagnosis
As a result of a disorder known as chronic recurrent multifocal osteomyelitis, Maddy suffered an overwhelming spike in pain.
Children are typically affected by this disease, which causes bone inflammation and chronic pain. Maddy was torn apart by her mother's explanation of everything, because she could only hear one thing in the woman's voice.
Failure
In her mom’s voice, Maddy could hear the sound of failure. Her mother looked at her like she’d already lost her. How bad was this disease? Couldn’t Maddy beat it?
She remembered the pain and how bad it was. It had caused her body to shut down, seemingly from shock. Would this be her life now? She should have known that things would only get worse from here.
A Lifestyle Change
The doctor enrolled Maddy in a program to help stabilize her condition. This saw a complete shift in the eleven-year-old’s lifestyle. First, she visited the hospital twice weekly, getting shots meant to keep the chronic pain at bay while also mending her bones.
Second, the doctor advised her mom to limit her time outside, insisting on Maddy needing her rest. Third, Maddy saw less of her mom since the hospital bills were outstanding, and the woman needed to take on more shifts at her nursing job to sustain them. But this was only the beginning.
Her Dad
Maddy had never really been close to her dad. He’d separated from her mom when she was still a baby and would only see her on special days like her birthday.
But now that she was sick, the man dropped by whenever he felt like it. He’d bring her gifts and tell her stories from around the world, seemingly wanting to bond with her. Would Maddy ever forgive him for leaving?
Why Is He Here Now?
Although Maddy’s dad was trying his best to be in her life, the girl hated that her condition was the only reason he acted this way. Where was he when things were good?
Why hadn’t he ever shown this same level of concern? She didn’t even know what he did for a living. Although Maddy didn’t outright tell him to leave, she always spaced out whenever he walked through the front door, wanting to see her. She had no idea that he’d be the one to save her down the road.
Treatment
Most patients with Maddy’s disorder are usually incurable. But for others, treatment is possible. Often, treatment lasts months or years. Half of children battling it respond well to nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, which help them regain full health.
The doctors put Maddy on the needed medication, hoping her body would respond positively. But although this was great news, it came with a terrible side effect that would leave Maddy’s life in shambles.
Her Hair
Maddy was positively responding to the treatment the doctors were subjecting her to. But she was also losing large parts of her hair because of the treatment.
As a girl, she’d long been attached to her hair. She’d had the longest and most luscious mane in school, with many of her friends telling her they wished their hair was like hers. Maddy didn’t know if she could return to school with her hair falling off.
Fistfuls Of Hair
It started with one or two strands a day. But before she knew it, fistfuls of her hair were falling off. It became so bad that half of her head was covered in great patches.
It didn’t help that the pain that had been there before had suddenly returned. Things were slowly turning bleak, and the now twelve-year-old girl didn’t know what she’d do. That’s when her mom came up with a brilliant idea.
A Wig
“How about we get you a wig?” Maddy’s mom asked with a bright smile, even though Maddy could see the worry and concern in her eyes. “Yeah,” she said, hoping to alleviate the woman’s stress. “I’d really like that, Mom.”
Her mom wasted no time getting in touch with the Little Princess Trust, a charity that provides real hair wigs, free of charge, to children and young people who have lost their own hair through diseases and conditions such as cancer. The future couldn’t look any brighter!
Choose Your Favorite
Little Princess Trust wasted no time sending over a few wigs for Maddy to try. She chose the one she loved the most and agreed to shave all her hair so that she could start donning it immediately.
For the first time in months, she saw her mom finally smile with no sadness lingering within her irises. Maddy thought things were finally looking up for their family when, in reality, everything was about to go further downhill.
A Temporary Fix
Maddy started going to school with a wig. Although the pain plaguing her body had remained, she was glad she could resume her education and wouldn’t let anything get in the way of graduating to the next class.
Maddy continued her education throughout the year, passing her classes and continuing life as usual. But one day, she realized her wig’s cap had become too loose, forcing her to take it off so her mom could fix it.
A Baseball Cap
Maddy’s mom asked her to stay home for a day as she had the wig fixed. But Maddy couldn’t relent now, after how much she’d achieved in school. She wanted to show her mom that she had this under control.
“It’s okay,” she said. “I can wear a baseball cap.” She rushed upstairs and returned with it, waving it before her mom’s face. She had no idea what wearing that cap would lead to.
The Bravest And Most Beautiful
Knowing just how stubborn her daughter could be, Maddy’s mom agreed to her request. By now, some of Maddy’s hair had grown back, although this only accentuated the patches on her head.
Her mom looked at the cap in her hand before coming over and helping her fit it on. She broke a smile and said, “You are the bravest and most beautiful girl I have ever known.” She couldn’t have predicted what was about to happen to her daughter.
Going To School
Maddy went to school the following day, looking beautiful with her baseball cap. The pain from her illness seemed to have had it out for her today because she couldn’t walk for five steps before wincing.
It struck her in tiny pricks, not as overwhelming as usual but enough to irritate her. It would pull her out of conversations with her friends and make her grit her teeth as she tried to stamp it down. Was it foreshadowing the inevitable?
Mr. Hudson
Maddy sat in class next to her best friend. The bell for the first period had already rung, and it was only a matter of seconds before the math teacher, Mr. Hudson, walked into class.
Although Math wasn’t Maddy’s favorite subject, she enjoyed it nonetheless. Mr. Hudson, though strict and seemingly always in a foul mood, was a good teacher. But today, he would show Maddy his true colors.
No Caps In Class
“Miss Dunham,” the teacher called out the minute he walked into class. His eyes were stuck on Maddy. “No caps in class. Please take that off.”
Maddy’s insides heated, worry flooding her system. She came up slowly, eating back the pain in her bones. She needed to explain to the teacher why she couldn’t take off her cap.
I Won’t Repeat Myself
“Miss Dunham, I will not repeat myself. Take that cap off!” A muscle ticked in the teacher’s jaw, and he banged his fist against the desk, pointing at Maddy. “Take it off now.” “I can’t,” Maddy cried, fear bubbling through her. She had a permission slip in her bag that would prove why she could wear the cap in class.
But she had no time to take it out. Mr. Hudson moved menacingly toward her, his burning gaze focused on her. “Maddy, I said take the hat off!” Before Maddy could speak, he had yanked the cap off her head.
Black
Gasps rented the classroom as everyone saw her head. In the two years she’d been fighting her illness, no one, not even her best friend, knew she had issues with her hair—some of the kids who didn’t like her started giggling. The rest looked at her like a sick animal, begging to be put down.
Tears ate Maddy’s sight. Her breath hitched, and her lungs constricted. How was this happening? The pain in her bones doubled. It hit her in such furious torrents she started staggering, looking for a way to stay on her feet. The world around her began to spin. Then everything turned black.
Back In Hospital
Maddy couldn’t explain what had happened. Like the last time this had happened, she woke up in a hospital bed. Her mom was by her side, worriedly watching over her. But her dad was also in the room, tall and imposing, as he watched quietly.
His chest kept moving up and down where he stood, and his arms were rippling muscles and veins. Was he angry with Maddy for feinting in class? What did he know about what she was going through?
Her Dad Is Here
He came to her the moment they locked eyes, roughly reaching out for her. But his touch was gentle, his words soothing. He shared a knowing look with Maddy’s mom and stood up before storming out.
Navy SEAL Eric Dunham couldn’t believe what had happened to his one and only daughter. How could a teacher do this to her when she’d broken no school rule? Burning with anger, he hopped into his truck and drove straight to Maddy’s school.
An Enraged Father
Eric stormed into the school grounds, barely giving anyone any time of day. His sight was set on one person, Maddy’s math teacher, Mr. Hudson. The enraged father marched straight to the staffroom, where he found the teacher. He was almost throttling him when he realized everyone was staring at him, kids included.
The principal came running in a minute later. He pleaded with Eric to follow her to her office, hoping they could resolve this issue. It took everything within Eric to walk away from the teacher. His love for his daughter was enough to make him step away. But this was far from over.