If you have been following my tweets, earlier this week my cousin has been diagnosed with leukemia.

It has been hard for all of us, we are a close-knit family and it kills us all to see a young boy of 18 who had just started his first semester in college, go through something so painful and crippling to his young teenage life.

It's never easy for me to go through people's illness or death, especially when it concerns friends or family. It's hard enough to lose a senior member, but much easier to let go, knowing that their time has come and that they had lived a long and fulfilling life. It's so much more difficult when it concerns a younger person.

Just about 3 years ago, I nearly lost a close friend to cancer. Miraculously, he was a survivor.

Another close friend was nearly lost in the recent earthquake-tsunami in Japan, but miraculously, he was rescued after 4 days of having no food, water or communication.

Now I'm hoping that my cousin would be able to pull through, he has to, he's still young.

This boy, who I have grown up with over the past 18 years, it's really not the time to say goodbye yet.

I drew him a little something to be placed beside his bed in the hospital, to remind him that no matter how painful or difficult chemo is, he will always have the courage from the love & support his entire family will be giving him. Like I said, we're a close-knit family, we won't let him go without making him fight his hardest.

Courage comes from love, and that was the two most repeated words when I Googled for inspiration. Apart from that, his initials are C.L. which makes these words all the more meaningful.

You're not alone. You won't be alone.

It's times like these, friends & family will push you back onto your feet.

Fingers crossed for his speedy road to recovery.

xxx