Bobby's Life

My Life: By Bobby Camarillo

When I was a baby I was very healthy. When I was three years old I would go with my dad to the park and play basketball with him. There was nothing wrong with me until one night something happened to me that changed my life forever. I had a seizure. My mom took me to the Madera Hospital to be treated. There the doctor gave me two medicines that were supposed to help me called phenobarbital and penicillin. When I took the medicines my body had an allergic reaction. My body started to swell up and my body felt like it was burning from the inside out. I was then taken to Valley's Children Hospital where I was treated as a burn patient. The medicine destroyed my immune system and burned the tissue in my lungs. I was in a coma for a month. They had to put a trachea in my neck so taht I could breathe. The only thing I can remember about being there is seeing a white light. it started to get smaller and smaller until I opened my eyes and it was the television. That's all I remember about that.

After that I was left with chronic lung damage. During kindergarten through fourth grade I would be sick at least twice a year and stay in the hospital for about two days. Then I would go home. But in the fourth grade I got really sick and stayed much longer than two days. I had a bad infection in my lungs and was put on a ventilater. A ventilater is a machine that has a tube that goes in your mouth to your lungs and breathes for you. I was on the machine for a week. Then I was taken off of it. I started to get better very slowly and three weeks later the doctor said I was able to go home. I gave him a big hug and told him thank you. It felt like I was in the hospital for months, then all of a sudden I was able to go home. I couldn't believe it. I was doing fine after that. I was getting tired much more after that, but still I was doing alright.

I have been to the mountains in Galcier Point. My lungs couldn't stand it. My whole face turned blue and I couldn't breathe. I started to gasp for air. Everytime I took a deep breath, it felt like someone was punching my lungs. We told the doctor what happened, and he suggested that I pit on my oxygen machine and leave it on for about a week. After a week I took off the oxygen and I turned blue. I went back to the hospital and told the doctor what happened. He said it might be a good idea if I kept the oxygen on for about two months. I agreed to it, only now two months turned to three, then three to four, four into five. now six months. During those months I received a letter from the Los Angeles Children's Hospital saying I would need a lung transplant. I had no idea that my disability would be so life threatening. I was very scared knowing that in the future I would fo through a major surgery.

I just recently went to L.A. to speak with doctors there. I have learned to deal with it pretty good I think. I began thinking what one of my mother's friends told me about how little pain I would feel. She had a lung transplant 9 years ago, and talking to my therapist helped a little. But I think the thing that helped me the most was sitting in my room, alone, working things out in my mind. There' s nothing I can do now, except hope for the best.

Bobby's Parents would like to thank everyone for their time and efforts!

Anna and Antolin Camarillo

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