Actually, when my parents gave birth to me, they named me like other Children but as a result of what I went through, my condition became my name.

 

I was raised up a girl loved by all. Very intelligent and had so much fear & love for God. I had every physical attribute any virgin in my time would have. I was very healthy and this included my menstrual cycle but surprisingly, I began experiencing an abnormal issue of blood.

 

At first, I thought it was just a minor problem. I changed my diet, yet it continued. I went to see my doctor and he assured me all was going to be well; prescribing some medications. I took the medications as prescribed but this continued for up to a year. I had to change doctor and even doctors yet to no avail but rather it grew worse. I spent all my savings on medication till I could spend no more.

 

I kept this problem to myself for months before I finally started opening up and confiding in my friends. Those that I called friends started leaving me while others spread my story until I became a laughing stock in my Society. I smelt so bad that even the stench that came from me attracted flies. I couldn't go out in public often except mostly at nights lest I be scorned.

 

I ran to the Priests for succor but I wasn't even allowed to get near them saying I was unclean and that even the clothes and bed I come in contact with were all unclean. I wept bitterly. I thought religion could help me.

 

At that point, I lost all hope. I hated myself even more. I prayed for death to snatch me away yet death was far from me. I was well advancing in age. My mates were all getting married and dedicating their babies yet men stayed so far from me. Days turned into weeks; weeks into months and months into years! My parents even began regarding me a burden to the family. This all continued until the twelfth year when a Man called Jesus came to my City.

 

I had heard so much how this Jesus had compassion on the poor & the widowed; healed the sick & brokenhearted and even raised the dead. They said He loved both the Jews & Gentiles alike.

 

So, when I heard He was passing by, I didn't care what people would say of me, neither did I care if He could give me attention because of the crowd following Him. I only said to myself, "If I may but touch His garment, I shall be whole".

 

You needed to see how desperate I was as I meandered through the crowd (of which some were closing their noses because of the stench coming from me), dived to the hem of His garment, touching it. Immediately, I felt something like electricity surge through my body and lo & behold, there & then, my fountain of blood dried up!

 

"Oh," I said to myself, "It's gone! I'm healed!"

 

Then just at that same moment Jesus stopped with His disciples & the crowd following Him, turned towards my direction and asked a strange question, "Who touched me?" Something told me He was referring to me but I kept quiet for fear that He would rebuke me. When He kept on asking, I had to own up and say the truth. Just when I did, He looked into my eyes, His eyes full of love & comfort, and said to me, "Daughter" (Oh! Jesus called me 'daughter' after everyone called me a 'nobody' in the Society) "be of good comfort: your faith has made you whole; go in peace".

 

I was about to thank Him when His attention was urgently needed by someone else. I had to hurriedly run like a mad woman into the City shouting for joy at the top of my voice proclaiming what this Jesus had done.

 

It was even later I heard that before I got healed, He was on His way to pray for a young girl who was at the point of death; yet He had time for me. Oh! What a loving Jesus; never too busy.

 

My advice to those who feel rejected, depressed, abandoned and are at the point of committing suicide just like I was, is that they run to Jesus and surrender their lives to Him. He alone can make the best out of their lives. He is no religion, rather He desires a relationship.