Photo Of Hospital Worker Giving Sick 9-Yr-Old Girl A Manicure Goes Viral.

Sometimes it’s the small gestures that demonstrate true strength of character.

Alyssa Shepard is only nine, but she already knows too much about hospitals. The Chico, Texas child was diagnosed with a form of epilepsy called PCDH19 when she was just four years old, and since then she’s been hospitalized more than any child ever should.


Facebook

Alyssa’s PCDH19 causes debilitating cluster seizures that come on with little to no warning. Alyssa’s mother, Le Shepard, says they just never know when they’ll have to drop everything and rush to the hospital. They also never know when one of Alyssa’s seizures could be fatal, so she lives with the constant fear and worry that comes with this uncertain disease.


Facebook

“I’ve lost count of the number of times my 9-year-old daughter, Alyssa, has been in the hospital,” Le said. She has a genetic disorder called PCDH19 epilepsy that causes her to have seizure clusters as well as cognitive and behavior issues. (A seizure cluster means several seizures back to back, often not stopping without medical intervention.)”

“When Alyssa was younger, we had months where we spent more time in the hospital than out because her seizures were so out of control.”

Alyssa Shepard hospital manicure
Love What Matters

While the seizures seemed to ease for a period, they’re now back to being unmanageable. “She’s had a really rough time … she’s been having those about every week. It’s really hard on her, she doesn’t feel good,” Le explained.

During one hospital stay, Alyssa was feeling especially down when a nurse asked if there was anything else she needed. Shocking everyone, Alyssa popped up and said, “I need to get my nails done!”

Le laughed off her daughter’s unusual request… but later that day, a child life specialist appeared in her room with a bottle of sparkly nail polish, ready to honor the little girl’s innocent request!


Facebook

“The manicure absolutely made Alyssa’s day and was a bright spot in an otherwise hard day. It also meant the world to me to see her being her normal self even with EEG leads still glued to her head. When you’re parenting a child with PCDH19, sometimes the disorder can seem bigger than the kid. There is so much to be scared about that I have to stop myself from being consumed with the prognosis. It was a relief to see the little girl side of her being nourished while they worked to get her brain calmed down. The nurse and child life specialist who cared about Alyssa’s nails that day made her light up and helped me breathe a little easier. I can’t say ‘thank you’ enough for that.â€


Facebook

As the specialist painted Alyssa’s nails, they chatted about school and the girl’s dog, back at at home. This quick, kind gesture was just the thing this family needed at the moment, and they were beyond grateful for it.

This story is a gentle reminder to all of us — sometimes it’s the simplest acts of kindness that have the most long lasting impact.

Please share this story if you agree.

Want to be happier in just 5 minutes a day? Sign up for Morning Smile and join over 455,000+ people who start each day with good news.