In Chichewa, they say “congola”. It means “beautiful”. Today’s blog post is in honor of a dear friend and sister, Natalia Lopez.
Natalia wanted to be a dancer, a nurse, a mother, and an artist. She had a smile that shone almost as brightly as her heart. It wasn’t until my third visit as a volunteer on the Cancer Center inpatient unit that I found out Natalia was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia. It was almost a side note in comparison to her exuberant life and infectious personality.
In a moment of glorious sadness, Natalia earned her angel wings on October 28th, 2009. Natalia was a light shining in the darkness. Even in the midst of the toughest treatment that a kid can face, she touched every person she met – with a contagious light that refused to stop shining, even after she passed. Although she was only one person, her light reached thousands of people. Natalia taught me that intensive care units are not made of machines, but from people caring intensely. Good medicine is not defined by technology, but by caring. What kept Natalia strong was her spirit and the love and caring she received – not just the medicine.
I know that Natalia would love to be here in Malawi. I think in a way she is. She never missed a chance to serve even random strangers. For the past two years, an event has taken place to honor heroes like Natalia. The event is called “Bald is Beautiful”, and people of all backgrounds and battles come to get their heads shaved to raise money for the fight against childhood cancer. The event is a declaration that baldness is not something to be ashamed of. It’s a declaration that fighting cancer is bold, that bald is beautiful. Congola. I couldn’t be in Houston for the event this year, but I thought I would share the beauty from Malawi. So, I invite you to celebrate these beautiful kids with me, an ocean away but just as beautiful:
