đ Allison: A Pink Rainbow in a Storm of Illness
Allison was seven years old, with eyes that sparkled like morning dew and a laugh that could lift the weight off any room. She loved rainbowsânot just the idea of them, but the colors, the stories, the way they seemed to promise something beautiful after the storm. Her favorite was pink, even though pink wasnât technically part of the rainbow. But Allison didnât care. To her, pink was joy. Pink was softness. Pink was love.
She had a heart conditionâone that doctors said was terminal. A word too big, too heavy, for someone so small. But Allison didnât live in diagnosis. She lived in color.
Her days were filled with drawings, each one a burst of imagination. Rainbows arched across every page, sometimes with unicorns, sometimes with castles, sometimes just floating in a sky of pink. Her mom kept them all, taping them to the fridge, the walls, even the bathroom mirror. It was as if Allison was painting her own world, one where illness couldnât reach.
But the storm was real. Her body grew weaker. She couldnât run like she used to. Her fingers trembled when she held a crayon. Some days, she didnât want to draw at all. Sheâd sit by the window, watching the sky, waiting for a rainbow that didnât come.
âI miss the colors,â she whispered once. âThey used to be inside me.â
Her mom knelt beside her, brushing a strand of hair from her face. âTheyâre still there, sweetheart. Even when you canât see them.â
Allison didnât answer. She just stared at the clouds.
đ The Weight of Gray
Illness has a way of draining color from life. The hospital rooms were beige. The machines beeped in monotone. The nurses wore blue scrubs, the doctors white coats. Even the food looked tired. Allison felt like she was living in a sketchâoutlined, but unfinished.
She stopped asking for pink things. She stopped wearing her rainbow socks. Her drawings turned to scribbles, then stopped altogether.
Her mom noticed. So did her friends. One by one, they began to bring color back to her.
Her best friend Mia came in wearing a tutu made of rainbow tulle. âIâm a walking rainbow,â she declared, spinning until she fell over giggling.
Her teacher sent a box of colored pencils with a note: For when youâre ready to draw the sky again.
Her mom painted her nails pink, one finger at a time, telling stories about each shadeâbubblegum, flamingo, watermelon.
And slowly, Allison began to smile again.
đ¸ The Return of Pink
One morning, Allison woke up and asked for her pink hoodie. The one with the sparkly heart on the sleeve. Her mom brought it over, tears in her eyes.
âI want to go outside,â Allison said.
They wheeled her out to the garden, where spring was beginning to bloom. The flowers were shy, just buds. But the sky was clear, and the air smelled like possibility.
Allison looked up. âDo you think the rainbow will come today?â
Her mom didnât answer. She just held her hand.
And thenâit did. A faint arc, barely visible, stretching across the sky. Not bold. Not dramatic. But there.
Allison gasped. âItâs pink,â she said.
Her mom squinted. âI think thatâs just the light playing tricks.â
âNo,â Allison insisted. âItâs pink. Itâs mine.â
đ Love in Every Hue
From that day on, Allison began to reclaim her colors. She drew againâslowly, carefully. Her rainbows were softer now, more pastel. But they were full of feeling.
She wrote stories, too. About a girl who lived in a cloud and painted the sky with her emotions. About a unicorn who could only be seen by people who believed in pink. About a rainbow that whispered secrets to those who listened.
Her illness didnât go away. Her body still struggled. But her spirit soared.
Her mom watched her, amazed. âYouâre like a pink rainbow in a storm,â she said once.
Allison smiled. âThatâs me.â
đď¸ The Final Drawing
One day, Allison asked for a fresh sheet of paper. She spent hours on it, her hand trembling, her brow furrowed. When she was done, she handed it to her mom.
It was a rainbow, but different. The colors were soft, almost translucent. And in the middle was a heartâpink, glowing, surrounded by tiny stars.
âThis is my goodbye,â she said.
Her mom held the drawing to her chest. âItâs beautiful.â
âI want you to hang it in the sky,â Allison said.
Her mom nodded, not trusting her voice.
đ Legacy in Color
Allison passed away quietly, surrounded by love. Her room was filled with drawings, laughter, and the scent of pink roses. Her final rainbow was framed and hung in the hallway, where everyone could see it.
Her story spread. People began wearing pink ribbons in her honor. Her school painted a mural of a rainbow with her name in the clouds. Her drawings were turned into a book, shared with children facing illness.
And every time someone saw a rainbow, they looked for the pink.
đ Final Thoughts
Allisonâs story isnât just about illness. Itâs about imagination, resilience, and the power of color to heal. She was a pink rainbow in a stormâa symbol of hope, softness, and love.
Her legacy reminds us that even in the darkest moments, thereâs beauty to be found. That pink belongs in every rainbow. And that sometimes, the smallest hearts shine the brightest.
