Inspirational Stories

First of all, I want to thank God for keeping me sane as he forced me to grow this year. On June 25, 2023, I was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma (HL), and to be honest, I wasn't tripping at first because I had no idea what that meant. Then my mom explained to me that I had cancer. I went from ending my junior year to celebrating my 17th birthday to getting my port installed and starting chemo all in the same month. I remember telling my dad how scared I was for my whole life to change, but I eventually saw how necessary that was.

My whole life I had based my personality on my hair. I was always trying new styles and playing with my hair. I always felt that was everyone's favorite thing about me, so saying goodbye to my first clump in July really sucked. Every two weeks for the past six months, I've been getting chemo and a number of other meds pumped into my bloodstream for hours and hours and hours. As of yesterday, I can proudly say that I will never have to do that again. I'm grateful to have found my love for poetry, my love for painting, my love for books, my love for long walks, my love for learning, and most importantly, my love for ME. Thank you to all my family and friends who have yet to leave my side. Thank you to everyone who supported me through social media and the school hallways. And to my Mom, thank you. I can't wait to see all the new blessings and lessons life has for me ― good, bad, difficult, or simple ― I'm excited about every part of it. To every sweet soul who is still fighting or fighting for someone, do what keeps YOU going., not what everyone tells you they think you should do. Listen to your body, listen to your God, and trust that everything will be fine. I'll always be here fighting with you.