Inspirational Stories

Last August I was diagnosed with stage 2A Hodgkin lymphoma (HL). I was going into my senior year, but instead of going to my first day of school, I had to go to my first day of chemotherapy. In October, after two full cycles of chemo, I got to ring my cancer-free bell and begin my recovery process. Today, I am in the process of growing back all my red hair and training to play Division One soccer at George Mason University in the fall. While my experience with cancer was shorter than most, it certainly was filled with its share of obstacles and complications, ranging from infections to severe sepsis. But even though cancer can be a scary word, it wasn't always a scary experience. It provided me with a chance to connect with my community as well as raise donations for a really great organization that helped my family through this situation: The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS). My soccer team hosted a Lymphoma Awareness Night in September, as well as organized a t-shirt sale with the phrase "Ginny Strong." It helped make something really special and beautiful out of a tough situation. I was also honored to be voted my class’s homecoming queen, as well as the speaker at large, which gave me a chance to share some things I learned when I graduated in June. I also had the chance to be inducted into the WPIAL Hall of Fame as this year's Courage Award recipient. Overall, the best things I learned from my experience that I would like to pass on to others is that optimism is half the battle, you are far more capable than you will ever know, and life is a really special thing worth fighting for.