Inspirational Stories

"You have cancer" is one of the scariest things you might ever hear. When Kate was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), she initially thought about how she wasn't strong enough and how she wasn't ready to die. Then she calmed down and told herself she didn't really have a choice.

"You have to do this; you have to be strong."

Out came the suit of steel. Cancer made her realize how much she had in her life that she hadn't fully appreciated before. She discovered that the small things can be some of the best: spending time with her kids, talking and listening to them; taking a walk with her dad so he can tell his stories one more time (he now has Alzheimer's disease); having tea with her grandmother and having her talk about the family tree; visiting with old friends; and even just turning up the radio in the car and singing at the top of her lungs.

Her love of photography made her see the world as an even more beautiful place. A raindrop on a tulip, a ladybug on a leaf, sunrises and sunsets, and even a rain cloud looked beautiful. Family became even more important ― calling to see how she was doing, coming along to scary doctor appointments, and meeting her for coffee after every radiation appointment. Going through all this made her realize that finding out you have cancer isn't really the worse thing. It can make one live a little more, love a little more, and appreciate little things a little more. "I have good days and bad days. But at least I have a lot more days, and it is my choice in how I live them and look at them," said Kate.