Category : Blogs

Sub Category : Miscellaneous

I received an unexpected phone call this afternoon from a dear friend who had been off the radar for almost a year. We chatted for a good hour and a half, catching up with each other. Tia Soeraya is one of the few people in my close circle whom I respect and admire. Tonight, I decide to share her story in hopes that it may help somebody in their own struggles in life's journey.

Tia is the youngest child of two siblings, born in a wealthy and influential family. Since the day she was born she was exposed to a life of luxury. She attended the best private schools, rubbed shoulders with the elite society, and growing up, she even had her own personal maids to tend to her every need. In short, she was living like royalty. Now one would assume having everything that money can buy would make her an irresponsible spoilt brat who doesn't give a damn about anyone but herself. But Tia is nothing like that.

Tia is also blessed with good looks. At 15, she was spotted by a talent scout which had launched her career as a model. At that young age, she was booked for a lot of jobs doing fashion shows, print ads as well as TV commercials. And that was when problems started for her in school. Instead of being popular and likeable, kids in school resented her. She was often picked on by school bullies and that was when she started to think there was something wrong with her. Her young mind messed her up. Self hatred kicked in. She detached herself from the other kids in school as well as her family and turned into a loner. She was a very lonely kid. Her head was filled with negativity. Things got out of control at one stage of her young life when instead of reaching out to talk things over with her family, she decided to take matters into her own hands. She started cutting herself. In her young mind, her logic was simple - if she was scarred, maybe the other kids would accept her and she would finally have friends. This problem went on for quite sometime. It only came to an end when she realized her plan was not working. She was still treated like an outcast and still picked on in school. She finally reached out to her family and admitted to them that she needed help. 

A lot of work was done on her, a lot of money was spent to heal her. Professional help was brought in, therapy sessions became her normal routine, psyche evaluation was done every week. Her life, her family's life turned into a 
rollercoaster of emotional torment. Eventually, it all paid off. Tia was well. Her state of mind was right and she was ready to live her life and work as a model again. 

When she turned 18, she started modelling internationally. Her job took her all over the world and she was literally living out of a suitcase most of the time. Although life as a model is fun and exciting, she still felt something was missing in her life - love. Sure, she did her share of dating but because she was never in one place for long, all she had were just casual dates and nothing more. She longed for a stable and secure relationship with someone whom she can call her own. But living the life she led, to have a partner in a steady relationship seemed almost impossible. Desperate, she signed up to a social media and began to spend most of her free time in there making new friends. She figured if she can't have a boyfriend, she could at least have some friends to chat with on lonely nights spent alone in hotel rooms.

Through the social media, she got to know a guy who appeared different than all the rest. They chatted online for hours everyday and soon the friendship developed into something deeper. Their relationship went well at first. He was very attentive, caring, loving and he seemed to be very understanding as well. They carried on with their relationship for about a year without having spoken to each other on the phone or meeting face to face. He was living in Singapore while she was jet setting all over the world. They relied on the chat box in the social media to stay connected and they hoped to meet each other face to face someday.

Tia was in the midst of doing another commercial job in New Zealand when I received a call from her sister, Mia. Mia was sobbing on the phone when she told me that Tia was very ill. Her parents had rushed to New Zealand when they received a call from the Producer of the job she was doing, informing them that she was in a hospital in Queenstown. Apparently, she had collapsed on location while filming. At the time when Mia called me, she had just received word from her mom on Tia's condition. She was diagnosed with brain tumor. Her condition was stable and according to the doctors treating her in the hospital, she was well enough to travel back to America for further treatment. I guess this is where her family's wealth came in handy. Tia flew back with her parents on their private jet and as soon as they landed, their chauffeur was waiting for them at the airport to whisk them to a private hospital owned by a family friend. She was admitted immediately and was scheduled for surgery the next day. The surgery was a success even though they had a touch and go moment. In the end, they managed to remove the tumor.

Mia also took the courtesy to send a message to the guy Tia had befriended on social media to inform him of her situation. And that was when his true colors start to show. Instead of showing concern for Tia's well being, he was urging Mia to get Tia to acknowledge her feelings for him to her parents. Mia was immediately put off by his inconsiderate manner. He kept writing Tia long messages to convince her to tell her parents about their relationship. Not once did he ask how she was doing. Mia read out all his messages to her but she did not respond to any of them. The last straw came when he began to pressure her about marriage. She instructed Mia to delete her social media account. And that was it, party's over. Needless to say, she was devastated and looked upon herself as a failure.

Once again, depression showed its ugly face. She was still in the hospital when she spiraled down into the black hole. The depression impacted her healing process. Complications set in. A psychiatrist stepped in. But she remained withdrawn. One of the attending neuro-surgeons who operated on her was a young, handsome doctor. After her surgery he would come by to check up on her often and when his shift ends, he would spend time by her bedside talking to her and getting to know her better. Friendship developed between them. When depression hit her, he was the one person who was able to break through her wall. Through him, she found the strength to fight the depression. Through him, she found the courage to stay strong. Through him, she found the will to live. And through him, she finally found love in the true meaning of the word.

When she called me this afternoon, she sounded well and happy. She told me she has been cancer free for seven years now but she still goes for her regular check ups. She also told me that she and her young doctor are getting married at the end of the year. She said, "I have a purpose in life now and I'm determined to live my life to the fullest. I've had so many curveballs thrown in my path but I feel blessed. I have been given another chance in life."

Miracles do happen. Storms don't last forever. As long as you believe, as long as you have faith to trust the process, there will always be hope for the hopefuls.