Rosa was heartbroken to discover that her son was ashamed of her because of her weight. One day, she ends up in the hospital, which makes the boy feel responsible and gives him a different perspective on what really matters.
Rosa had always wanted a child, but because she suffered from polycystic ovarian syndrome, she was unable to conceive naturally. When she turned 40, she and her husband David decided to try IVF.
“This is our last hope of having a biological child. I pray it works. I want to be a mother,” she said, as the doctor explained what they had to do.
A few weeks later, Rosa and David found out they were expecting a baby. They were very excited and made sure that their home was conducive to a healthy pregnancy.
“We will do it together,” David assured his wife. Since Rosa’s pregnancy was high risk, they decided that she should temporarily leave her job.
Nine months passed, and Rosa did everything she could to stay healthy. She took prenatal vitamins, exercised and stayed away from stressful environments.
After the birth of their son Juan, she and David were immensely happy. Their son was their whole world and nothing meant more to them than taking care of him and ensuring he had the best possible life.
When John turned 10, the whole family had to move to another state due to David’s promotion. They moved from a small town to the big city and he began to attend a larger, more diverse school.
Little by little, Rosa noticed changes in Juan. One day, she asked him to get in the car so she could take him to school, and he refused. “I’ll take the school bus,” he said, and ran off before his mother could protest.
At first she did not think it had anything to do with her. She assumed that Juan liked to be with his friends and ride the school bus together. It was only when they were in the grocery shop that she realised she was the problem.
While they were choosing groceries, Juan saw his friends. He quickly ran away from his mother before they saw her. “Hi!” – He greeted.
“Hello, Juan! We didn’t know you were free today, we would have invited you to hang out,” his friend Simon told him. “Who are you with?” – he asked.
“I’m with my mum,” Juan sighed. “She said I should walk her to the supermarket so someone can help her with her bags,” he complained.
“Well, don’t buy too much food, or you’ll get too fat! It’s in your genes,” one of his friends joked.
Juan could feel his face turn red. “Of course not,” he replied, in an attempt to minimize the situation. “See ya! You must be looking for me in the halls,” he said, hastening to say goodbye.
“Where did you go?” her mom asked.
“I saw my friends. I just went to say hello,” Juan replied.
“Oh! I would have loved to meet them!” Rosa told him. “Next time, introduce me to your friends.”
Juan sighed. “I won’t do that, Mom! I want to go home. Can we go now?” he said, walking over to the tills so they could pay.
Rosa wondered if she had said something inappropriate, but decided to leave it at that. A few weeks later she got a call from one of the mothers at Juan’s school. “How are you, Rosa, feeling better?” – she asked.
Confused, Rosa asked what she meant. She explained that she hadn’t been ill with anything and that she was actually feeling very well.
“It’s just that there was a Mother’s Day event at school and we didn’t see you there. Your son said you were not feeling well. Didn’t you get the card Juan made for you? They were asked to draw their mothers,” the woman commented.
Rosa felt her chest tighten. “Why didn’t he invite me to his Mother’s Day event?” – she puzzled.
Having finished talking, Rosa went upstairs to her son’s room to check if the Mother’s Day card was in place. She found it under his books and noticed that instead of drawing her, he had drawn himself.
When the boy came home that day, she decided to talk to him. “Juan, I got a call from one of the mothers saying that you didn’t invite me to the Mother’s Day event at your school. What happened?” – she asked him.
Juan paused hesitantly before deciding to tell her the truth. “My classmates call me ‘the new kid with the fat mum,'” he told her. “I don’t want them making fun of you because of your weight. Please, Mum, go to the gym.”
Rose didn’t expect to hear this. She quietly got up from her chair and locked herself in her room, crying. The next morning she decided that she would do everything possible to lose weight.
During the day she worked in her small business and in the evening, after putting Juan to bed, she went to a 24-hour gym in her neighbourhood. She hardly ate at all. At one point her body couldn’t take it and she became unconscious.
Juan was returning home that day after a weekend school trip. He watched his classmates hugging their parents and wondered where his parents were.
“Juan, honey,” one of the mothers said. “Your dad asked me to pick you up and take you to the hospital,” she said.
“The hospital? Why? Who’s in the hospital?” – he asked.
“Your mother. She was at the gym when she collapsed and had to be carried in an ambulance. Your father is with her,” the woman explained. “Come on, I’ll take you.”
Juan cried the whole car journey. He felt very guilty because he was the one who had insisted that she go to the gym and lose weight, and now she was in hospital.
As soon as he saw her with an IV in hand, he started sobbing. “I’m so sorry, Mom. Why did you faint?”
“I wanted to be the most beautiful mom in the world to you, son,” his mom said weakly. “I don’t want you to be ashamed of me,” she cried.
Juan shook his head. “I’m sorry, Mom,” he sobbed. “I didn’t want you to get sick. Please forgive me for everything I said. The most beautiful mother is the one who is well and healthy. Take care of yourself and be well. I don’t want to lose you,” she begged.
After a couple of days, Rosa was released from the hospital. Since then, Juan no longer felt ashamed of being seen next to her. He went back to school with her and introduced her to his classmates with great pride in her.
Every time the children were asked to draw their parents, Juan drew Rosa and showed her with confidence. He earned the respect of his classmates, and was never teased again about his mother’s weight.
