A while back, I wrote the article "Lorenzo Odone's Fight for Life," which was in the October 31st edition of the Times. The article briefly described the life of a young boy named Lorenzo Odone and his parents as they find a cure for ALD (Adrenoleukodystrophy). The article ended with saying that Lorenzo would turn 30 on May 29, 2008.
Little did anyone know, it would be Lorenzo Odone's last birthday.
After school was let out a week before Lorenzo�s birthday, I was in Kentucky with my dad while he was on a business trip. While he was in meetings, I was hanging out at the pool, walking around the hotel and basically just relaxing and enjoying a few stress-free days. In the mornings, my dad would leave the news on, leave the newspaper on the bedside table and he would leave the room. I would get up hours later, eat breakfast and head down to the pool.
I remember specifically checking the "Strange News" on my phone on May 30th, like I do every day, because most of the strange things are extremely entertaining. That particular day, however, I felt like something weird had happened, and I checked under the "Health and Wellness" section as well.
The first headline simply read "Subject of film 'Lorenzo's Oil' dies at 30". I was shocked. I texted all my friends from my biology class about his death, and then I read the article.
Lorenzo had died after coming down with aspiration pneumonia after food was stuck in his lungs. Augusto Odone, Lorenzo's father, said that he began breathing heavily, and before an ambulance reached the house, Lorenzo was already gone.
"He could not see or communicate, but he was still with us. He did not suffer . . . that was the important thing," Augusto said later that week.
When the article ended, I remember going down to one of the hotel's patio areas and sitting at one of the tables. All of the tables had newspaper sitting on them. I read the headlines and the date.
It was May 30th.
It was one day after Lorenzo turned 30.
Lorenzo Odone may have died over the summer, but his spirit still remains with us today.
This is Kaila, going to go on a walk.
(I always though the left side was the strong side . . .)
