Healthiest Kid Alive

The night before I headed to boarding school last year, my parents pulled me aside and told me that when I was born, I had a hemangioma - a benign, blood-red tumor - on the side of my face. My parents spent many stressful months debating how best to proceed, navigating the Chinese healthcare system which, at the time, did not offer great solutions. I was shocked — I had always considered myself a perfectly healthy kid. I was proud of my perfect attendance record at school. Through discussion with my parents, I was able to learn more about this important piece of my appearance and identity, understand better the frustrations they felt along the way, and appreciate their sacrifices on my behalf even more.