Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    A Child's Heart
    A Child's Heart
    A Child's Heart
    Ebook77 pages1 hour

    A Child's Heart

    By Rhonda A. Marks

    5/5

    ()

    Read preview

    About this ebook

    What would you do if your child was suffering from a life-threatening condition?
    The child that Nitika Walsh dreamed and hoped for lay in a hospital bed, her tiny body battling leukemia. With all hope fading fast, the doctors advise her that a stem cell transplant may be necessary. Nitika is not a match, nor is anyone else in the system. That leaves the father as a possible donor, but the problem is she used an anonymous sperm donor to become impregnated.
    In college, Javier Crespo did what other students did to scrounge up a little money: he became a sperm donor. But he never imagined that his identity would be revealed or that he’d ever meet any of the children his gift made possible. But that’s what the doctors are asking him to do.
    Will Javier agree to be tested? Is he a match? Can the child be saved?

    Excerpt:
    “Mommy, I don’t feel good.” Little Tesia Walsh gripped her mother’s hand tighter and pinched her mouth closed.
    “The medicine will make you feel better real soon, okay. The nurse just gave it to you.” Nitika Walsh gave her daughter another fake smile, all the while dying inside. This round of chemo was taking a toll on her baby, and there was nothing she could do to help, except hold onto her tiny hand and pray that the leukemia would be cured soon.
    The oncologist said Tesia’s red blood count was not increasing as fast as he’d like. Which meant a stem cell transplant was needed as soon as humanly possible.
    Nitika casually turned her head and wiped away another tear before Tesia saw it. She had to remain strong for both of them. Crying had to be done at night or those rare times she could step away from her daughter’s bedside.
    “Mommy, I’m sleepy,” yawned Tesia.
    Nitika let out a silent sigh of relief. The nurse had given Tesia the meds over half an hour ago. Why it took so long to take effect, she had no idea, but right now she was happy her baby would be able to get some rest. Then maybe she’d have the opportunity to shut her eyes for a couple hours too.
    Was it only a month ago that her adorable five year old ran roughshod over the other children in her daycare class? So energetic and full of life. Now, she lay in a hospital bed, her body full of drugs. How could things have changed so quickly?
    Thank God her best friend was available to hold her hand and keep her partly sane. Having no relatives sucked big time, but especially now. No one to rely on. No one to break down with. No one to ask for help.
    A shiver shot throughout her body thinking back to that horrible day the pediatrician gave her the diagnosis of acute lymphoblastic leukemia. She had no idea Tesia’s recent fatigue and unexplained bruising were indications of such a serious disorder. It took several minutes for the words to sink in and for her to understand what she was saying. Next came the breakdown, with Nitika crumbling to the floor of the doctor’s office. Since that day, she vowed to keep herself together. Tesia needed her to be strong.
    “Everything okay?” The nurse ducked her head inside the room and gave her a half smile.
    “Good now,” she confirmed, watching her daughter’s chest rise and fall evenly.
    “I’ll check back in an hour or so.” The nurse exited as quietly as she arrived, leaving Nitika alone with Tesia again.
    Other than one or two co-workers and her best friend, Elise Nivens, few people visited her daughter. This was one of the few times she wished for more family. Strike that, any family. Being an orphan really sucked.
    But what really drove her crazy was the fact that she was not a match for Tesia’s stem cell transplant. And since she had no relatives that she knew of, they had to rely upon the donor list.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherRhonda A. Marks
    Release dateMar 25, 2014
    ISBN9781310467448
    A Child's Heart
    Author

    Rhonda A. Marks

    Attorney, mother, wife and compulsive planner, Rhonda Anderson Marks has always been an avid reader of all types of fiction. After many years in the courtroom, she’s decided to put her vivid imagination to work and down on paper. Tag along on her publishing journey as she spins tales of romance and suspense. You can reach her at rhonda@rhondamarksbooks.com, Twitter/@rhondamarks and Facebook/ramarks. Her website is www.rhondamarksbooks.com

    Read more from Rhonda A. Marks

    Related to A Child's Heart

    Related ebooks

    African American Romance For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      I Married Both Brothers

      Jan 25, 2022

      I Married Both Brothers
      3 min read

    • Article

      The Friend I’ll Never forget

      Apr 25, 2019

      The Friend I’ll Never forget
      5 min read

    • Article

      Sacrificing Mercy

      Dec 10, 2022

      Inwardly I raged against Jenny’s religion, her God, and yes against her. She had a chance at life, at health. How could she refuse it? Damn the religion that told her to destroy our hope! But showing my rage would make it harder to persuade her. Besi

      13 min read

    • Article

      GOING TO THE edge

      Sep 3, 2020

      GOING TO THE edge
      7 min read

    • Article

      My Perfect Family

      Feb 27, 2020

      My Perfect Family
      6 min read

    • Article

      Bird’s Words

      Nov 29, 2021

      Bird’s Words
      3 min read

    • Article

      Tell Children the Truth

      Sep 14, 2021

      Tell Children the Truth
      6 min read

    • Article

      The Worst and Best Day

      Apr 16, 2022

      The Worst and Best Day
      8 min read

    • Article

      No Laughing Matter

      Oct 25, 2019

      No Laughing Matter
      7 min read

    • Article

      The Emergency

      Mar 19, 2022

      The Emergency
      17 min read

    • Article

      My Story My Journey Out Of Darkness

      Mar 24, 2021

      My Story My Journey Out Of Darkness
      5 min read

    • Article

      Meant To Be

      Dec 24, 2019

      Meant To Be
      4 min read

    • Article

      Storyteller

      Nov 4, 2021

      Storyteller
      11 min read

    • Article

      No Time to Waste

      Dec 22, 2020

      No Time to Waste
      5 min read

    • Article

      Prayer Therapy

      Mar 27, 2020

      Prayer Therapy
      6 min read

    • Article

      The Dying Of The Light

      Dec 13, 2023

      The Dying Of The Light
      7 min read

    • Article

      Save OUR SOULS

      Jul 9, 2019

      Save OUR SOULS
      4 min read

    • Article

      From beyond THE GRAVE

      Oct 28, 2021

      From beyond THE GRAVE
      6 min read

    • Article

      My Mother’s Promise

      Apr 28, 2020

      My Mother’s Promise
      6 min read

    • Article

      Unto Me

      Nov 25, 2023

      Unto Me
      5 min read

    • Article

      Bad News 101

      Apr 21, 2022

      Bad News 101
      13 min read

    • Article

      A Kind Of Magic

      Oct 2, 2022

      The first thing I notice about my new therapy appointment is that I’ve worn the wrong shoes. I’ve done everything else correctly: washed my hair, used deodorant, selected an age-appropriate shirt, practised my calm and knowledgeable voice. But thongs

      5 min read

    • Article

      Problems? She Can Relate

      Dec 28, 2020

      Problems? She Can Relate
      6 min read

    • Article

      With One Spark

      Oct 5, 2023

      With One Spark
      6 min read

    • Article

      I Heard you, Mum

      Apr 21, 2022

      I Heard you, Mum
      5 min read

    • Article

      Never Forsaken

      Nov 26, 2019

      Never Forsaken
      6 min read

    • Article

      Had I Hurt My Baby?

      Apr 21, 2022

      Had I Hurt My Baby?
      4 min read

    • Article

      A Bad Feeling

      Jul 15, 2021

      A Bad Feeling
      5 min read

    Related categories

    Reviews for A Child's Heart

    5/5

    2 ratings0 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

      Book preview

      A Child's Heart - Rhonda A. Marks

      A CHILD’S HEART

      Rhonda A. Marks

      A CHILD’S HEART

      by Rhonda A. Marks

      Copyright 2014 Rhonda A. Marks

      Smashwords Edition

      Smashwords Edition, License Notes

      This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

      Cover by http://www.coverfreshdesigns.com

      ISBN 978-0-9889770-2-0

      This book is a work of fiction. All names, characters, places and incidents are products of the author’s imagination. Any resemblances to actual events, locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

      All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work, in whole or part, in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means now known or hereafter invented, is forbidden without the written permission of the author.

      Attorney, mother, wife and compulsive planner, Rhonda Anderson Marks has always been an avid reader of all types of fiction. After many years in the courtroom, she’s decided to put her vivid imagination to work and down on paper. Tag along on her publishing journey as she spins tales of romance and suspense. You can reach her at rhonda@rhondamarksbooks.com, Twitter/@rhondamarks and Facebook/ramarks. Her website is www.rhondamarksbooks.com

      For Linda. Thanks for all the encouragement and your friendship.

      Chapter One

      Mommy, I don’t feel good. Little Tesia Walsh gripped her mother’s hand tighter and pinched her mouth closed.

      The medicine will make you feel better real soon, okay. The nurse just gave it to you. Nitika Walsh gave her daughter another fake smile, all the while dying inside. This round of chemo was taking a toll on her baby, and there was nothing she could do to help, except hold onto her tiny hand and pray that the leukemia would be cured soon.

      The oncologist said Tesia’s red blood count was not increasing as fast as he’d like. Which meant a stem cell transplant was needed as soon as humanly possible.

      Nitika casually turned her head and wiped away another tear before Tesia saw it. She had to remain strong for both of them. Crying had to be done at night or those rare times she could step away from her daughter’s bedside.

      Mommy, I’m sleepy, yawned Tesia.

      Nitika let out a silent sigh of relief. The nurse had given Tesia the meds over half an hour ago. Why it took so long to take effect, she had no idea, but right now she was happy her baby would be able to get some rest. Then maybe she’d have the opportunity to shut her eyes for a couple hours too.

      Was it only a month ago that her adorable five year old ran roughshod over the other children in her daycare class? So energetic and full of life. Now, she lay in a hospital bed, her body full of drugs. How could things have changed so quickly?

      Thank God her best friend was available to hold her hand and keep her partly sane. Having no relatives sucked big time, but especially now. No one to rely on. No one to break down with. No one to ask for help.

      Her chest constricted thinking back to that horrible day the pediatrician gave her the diagnosis of acute lymphoblastic leukemia. She had no idea Tesia’s recent fatigue and unexplained bruising were indications of such a serious disorder. It took several minutes for the words to sink in and for her to understand what she was saying. Next came the breakdown, with Nitika crumbling to the floor of the doctor’s office. Since that day, she vowed to keep herself together. Tesia needed her to be strong.

      Everything okay? The nurse ducked her head inside the room and gave her a half smile.

      Good now, she confirmed, watching her daughter’s chest rise and fall evenly.

      I’ll check back in an hour or so. The nurse exited as quietly as she arrived, leaving Nitika alone with Tesia again.

      Other than one or two co-workers and her best friend, Elise Nivens, few people visited her daughter. This was one of the few times she wished for more family. Strike that, any family.

      But what really drove her crazy was the fact that she was not a match for Tesia’s stem cell transplant. And since she had no relatives that she knew of, they had to rely upon the donor list. The problem with that was very few African Americans offered themselves as resources, and the best matches were between people of the same race.

      Nitika expelled a loud breath thinking about the oncologist’s latest suggestion. Tesia’s father would be a possibility, her best bet for a match. But Nitika had no idea who the man was since she was impregnated with sperm from an unknown donor.

      At the time, she believed this was the best option for her. The best of both worlds: she’d have a beautiful child all her own, and no man with whom to butt heads. Now she seriously questioned that choice. And was beginning to regret it.

      With no other choices, she gave the oncologist permission to speak with the clinic director, to ask for the donor’s contact information. It had been three days, three whole days since he supposedly made contact with the man. Why was it taking so long for him to get an answer?

      Javier Crespo stood outside Tesia’s room and stared through the window at the little girl in the middle of that great big bed. Was she his daughter? Feelings rose as he continued to gaze at her. No, until he had

      Enjoying the preview?
      Page 1 of 1