This article is from the "Scene" section of the SmallWorlds Chronicle. I generally post only from the news section, but thought this story should be shared. There is also a couple threads in the forum that are related to this story.
The thread made by Bubbles, which she appears to be replying to is
http://forum.smallworlds.com/showthread.php?t=63064.A second thread which contains some well wishes, including a note from Mitch is
http://forum.smallworlds.com/showthread.php?t=63853Bubbles Mofobian: A Triumph of the Human SpiritDecember 7, 2009 9:02 PM
In a departure from our usual articles, we've decided to bring you something a little different. It's about a SmallWorlds citizen with a story of huge personal challenge. It's a story of strength, of perseverance. It's a story of triumph of the human spirit, and it's also a story of love.
Citizens, I'd like to introduce you to Bubbles Mofobian. She's a regular person, just like you or I. She has been playing on SmallWorlds for just over a year and thinks its great fun here. Unlike most of us on SmallWorlds, Bubbles has faced (and continues to face) some enormous challenges that fortunately many of us will never experience. Her challenges began at a very early age - Bubbles was given a heart transplant at age 5.
Today she's 21, and is fighting a hard and determined battle with cancer of the Heart, Lung and Brain. Bubbles is due to have major surgery on the 15th of December to remove her Brain tumor.
She approaches her challenges with strength and fortitude - and with a little help from her friends! Her main support in her life coming from her RL boyfriend, Mofobian Bubbles whose steadfast presence in her life provides an inspiring example of love and devotion.
Here is their story.Note: If you'd like to send a message of support to Bubbles to help her stay strong for her upcoming surgery, you can click here now, or use the link at the end of this story. We'll leave it open until 11 December, then send the messages to Bubbles a few days before her operation. I know that she will very much appreciate any thoughts from SmallWorlds Citizens as she faces into her next big challenge. Mofobian has set up a Twitter account if you would like to follow her progress after her operation.
An Interview with Bubbles & MofobianBubbles thank you so much for agreeing to share your story here with us. You are someone we can all learn from. I'm interested to hear from you about the things that really help you through the hard times...
Bubbles: Mofobian. He will do anything to make me feel better. And all my SmallWorlds friends, Bryan Alabas, Morticia Cravesblood, Adam Mckay, Irish, Anthony Bueller, Izzic Anderson, Hey Dog, Imran Aziz, Summer Daze, Dazzle Ice, Postal Lady and Peanut Candy even though I just met her but she is a good friend and some might have already left SmallWorlds for some reason but they always made my day. Especially Mofobian's Mom, Postal Lady, she helped me stand up when I fell into the dark hole, and was lost in the darkness, she gave me a light and showed me a way home. And also all SmallWorlds citizens, when they know I'm lost they will show me a way home.
Mofobian sounds like he is a really big support in your life. What would you like to tell me about him? What would you like others to know about him?
Bubbles: Where should I start. He is my life support, without his guidance I wouldn't be here today. I owe him my entire life. He is always there when I need him, not only me but for all of his friends. He is lovable, caring and a kind person, people like him are hard to find in this world anymore. Like me, he has a battle of his own, and he taught me how to be strong from what he has been through. I learned how to not give up. What I admire so much about him is the love he holds in his heart. He shares what he has with everyone, helps everyone with what he can. He helped me to complete my loyalty missions every week because seriously, I'm not good in doing missions, if I got stuck I would just give up, and he doesn't like that. He also gets me the monthly collectible every month. Today I wouldn't dare to say what I want, because he surely will get it for me no matter how expensive that thing is! Like I said not only for me, but for all his friends in here too. There's a lot more but it would be a very long story, I wouldn't finish telling you about him until tomorrow if you ask me more about Mofobian. If you spend a day with him, you will understand.
There are bound to be other SmallWorlds citizens out there facing a big challenge in their own lives. What message would you like to send them?Bubbles: I'm in the battle myself and been through a lot and still in the battle field, all I can say is never give up and keep telling yourself that you are the winner no matter what the future may bring, as long as you can stand up, keep on fighting it, do whatever you can do, and never, ever let those things win. Like all my friends always tell me, "never give up, and you are not alone we will always be here for you, and we keep you safe in our heart." Keep trying, keep your head held high, keep on moving, keep climbing, keep the faith. And remember, all your friends and loved ones out there standing together with you, to walk out as a winner. Kia Kaha means stay strong.
Whereabouts in the world do you live?Bubbles: I can't tell full details about where am I because my Father wouldn't like that, so let's say somewhere in Asia where the Sakura flower blooms (its one of my favorite flowers).
How long have you been playing on SmallWorlds? I'm interested in what draws you about this online world above any others you might choose to play?Bubbles: I joined and started playing SmallWorlds in Dec 08. I saw the advertisement somewhere on a social network and decided to try it, it's not like other virtual worlds, I admit, I've been playing a lot of virtual games, but with most I'd be signing up today and leave it just like that on the next day. But SmallWorlds is like a magnet - it makes me keep on playing it! And I'm glad I keep on playing it, because this is where I meet so many friends, some I would never have found out there. I might be away from SmallWorlds for a while soon, and I can't promise anything but, I'll be back.
Mofobian: We started playing SmallWorlds on December 13th of 2008. Bubbles invited me, I had no idea what it was. It really helped our relationship grow by giving us something to do together. We're drawn to this game particularly because it's browser based. We've tried a number of different browser based games similar to SmallWorlds, and they all had their appeal, but SmallWorlds was the only one that really allowed our creativity and imaginations to be exercised totally. Aside from it being a persistent and seamless world, it feels like a living, breathing world as well. The best part being that everybody in-world is healthy. It's a perfect world when we need one.
What are some of your favorite things to do on SmallWorlds? Where do you guys like to hang out?Bubbles: Like everyone else, I like to shoot people *giggles* just for fun though. We are everywhere, if you saw Mofobian, you will see Bubbles. If you see Bubbles, you will see Mofobian :p. But we mostly go to the place where all our friends are, and the place where a lot of people hang out so we can meet all the people from all over the world. Sometimes we're at Cue Club to play some pool or shooting people lol, or just stay at our home space and listen to music, talking and play Alien Tower Defence. Mofobian make me addicted to that game hehe. It's amazing how we can meet people from different countries in 1 room, I guess that's why you called it SmallWorlds?!
Mofobian: We used to like to buy spaces and deck them out, then not long after we would sell the space and buy a new one, and repeat with a new layout. Unfortunately, we did it so many times I feel as though we've run out of ideas! As of late, we have been spending most of our time in SmallWorlds playing Pool and shooting friends with the wide array of guns we have collected. Mostly socializing with the people we have become friends with since we started playing. We hang out at the Cue Club, but most of our time is spent at our homespace or at a friends homespace.
We've begun to create videos using SmallWorlds as our platform. We choose a song and type the lyrics into the chat box in situations according to the lyrics. The lyrics pop out above the avatars head in a chat bubble, we then take pictures of these arrangements and combine them in chronological order with custom video transition effects. It's as if it were a music video using the SmallWorlds API as the set. It can be a lot of fun and is a great distraction !
Mofobian, can you tell me how long you've known Bubbles?Mofobian: Bubbles is my girlfriend in real life (we met in September 2008) and intended to be much more. We're going to win this battle before anything else. When I had just met Bubbles I was not aware of her struggle with cancer. She enlightened me with that not long after I had already fallen head over heels for her. It did not change anything for me, I loved her just the same and I continued to be myself. I helped run Charities and personally donated to an array of causes, none of which were Cancer. I did not think of Bubbles as another Charity case, I thought of her as Bubbles, the girl who I love more and more every day. I would have treated her the same with or without Cancer.
Mofobian, what is your role in supporting her through the challenges that the cancer brings into her life?Mofobian: I love her, it's my role to be there and support her regardless of what may stand in her path. In this case I endorse the role to show her the beauty that life has to offer, to wash away the darkness that continues to loom over her when the times get hard. I give her someone she can count on to always be there for her and making sure that she never feels alone. I strive to bring her spirit into the clouds when they are dangerously close to the gutter. I make her feel love, she needs to know that she is loved and always will be. When it comes down to it, after we've stripped ourselves of all our possessions and materials, love is all we have. It is a crucial element to give someone the will to live, to fight and to never give up. Most of all I make sure she knows that she has a future beyond all of the pain.
My role is to enforce her strength by fighting right beside her in this battle. My role is to protect her from being harmed by people who feed on others misery. My role is to be the light when all else has gone dark. My role is to catch her when she falls. My role is to be a friend, that person she can turn to when there is nowhere else to go. My role is to remind her that she has a future. I am hope, I am strength, I am power and I am love. I will always be there for her.
What do you admire about her?Mofobian: What I admire about Bubbles is how she recognizes a person for their intentions before anything else. Money, objects, accomplishments, sure, these things can be admirable and worth being noticed for but in no way do they show who someone really is. She is a good person, and I don't think she realizes how rare that is in the world today. I find it so cruel how she is burdened with this disease, yet she is the kindest, most caring, and charitable soul I have ever had the honor of welcoming into my heart. I admire her ability to resist the temptations that blind people from seeing the harm that they are causing to the people who are left in the wake. She has a clear interpretation of right and wrong, that isn't a trait you find in somebody every day.
Most of all, I admire her unbreakable strength. I have never met somebody so strong as Bubbles is. We all fall down, and she does too, but before long she gets right back up again!
From this experience, what have you learned about how best to support someone who is going through hard stuff?Mofobian: I never really thought about this to be honest. When I had just met Bubbles I was not aware of her struggle with Cancer. She enlightened me with that not long after I had already fallen head over heels for her. It did not change anything for me, I loved her just the same and I continued to be myself. I helped run Charities and personally donated to an array of causes, none of which were Cancer. I did not think of Bubbles as another Charity case, I thought of her as Bubbles, the girl who I love more and more every day. I would have treated her the same with or without Cancer.
The best thing anybody could do for someone going through something similar to this is to simply be there for them. Just be there, through the good and the bad, what could be more important? There couldn't be anything more important to them during that time than you being there. When they are down and pessimistic, remind them that they have a future. Tell them about the things they have to look forward to, all the joy, the laughs and the experiences they have yet to see and feel. Make them see that there is so much in life to fight for and they deserve to have it too.
Those who are going through this sometimes lose their way, and begin pushing those who mean the most to them away. They are hurting themselves as well, but they do not mean it. They merely think it is the right thing to do, just in case worse comes to worst. Maybe, just maybe by pushing those who would be hurt the most away they might save them from the pain. Don't let them do this, it is hard, but even if they don't see it, they need you. It will hurt more knowing that you both still exist in this world but you aren't spending the time you have together. And that goes for anybody.
The possibility of losing somebody is always there, but both you and them believing that they will make it changes everything. It's amazing how much the mind affects the body, it will fight twice as hard if it believes, if it wants to survive. So give them some guns to fight with, give them a reason to be here
We have created a Christmas video intended to wish all citizens in SmallWorlds a Merry Christmas from both of us and our friends. Bubbles will miss Christmas this year, so we've created that spirit for her early.
Send Bubbles A Message of Support...Bubbles is an inspiring individual who's heart has remained open through experiences which would test anyone to the limit. Her determination to get through this is strong, and stories like hers hold so much value in helping all of us to find the place we all have within ourselves to deal with circumstances that cause us difficulty and pain.
If you would like to send Bubbles a message of support, please click here.
(for link go to the Scene section of SW Chronicle.) We will leave this open until midnight on the 11th and will then close it off. We'll send the messages to her to read before her operation on the 15th. Bubbles thanks you in advance for your support and encouragement!
Bubbles, the whole SmallWorlds team is thinking of you - and in the language of the Maori people of New Zealand (the country in which SWHQ is located) we say to you "Kia Kaha!" which means stay strong.
Author
Topic: 12/7/2009 Bubbles Mofobian: A Triumph of the Human Spirit (Read 3315 times)