The world blurred as tears filled my eyes. I could hardly breathe, feeling the weight of helplessness pressing down on me, more suffocating than the spring air I couldn’t feel. Daniel’s life depended on that donor match, a lifeline we’d been promised was already secured. But now, uncertainty replaced hope.

I sat there, chest heaving with sobs that wouldn’t come, and tried to pull myself together. Daniel needed me to be strong. As much as I wanted to curl up and let despair swallow me, I had to act. There had to be something I could do.