TRUE-LIFE
As my classmates ran and hollered around the playground, I watched on.
They’re having so much fun, I thought, perched on a wooden bench.
I’d never be able to join in their games.
Then 4, I’d been diagnosed with osteogenesis imperfecta, also known as brittle bone disease.
It wasn’t unexpected.
It’s a genetic disorder, and while my sister Rukhsar, then 7, didn’t have it, my brother Hameed, 9, had been diagnosed with it.
Along with our growth being restricted, our bones were so weak that the slightest bump could cause a fracture.
Despite using a walking frame, I still suffered three or four broken bones each year.