A Piece of My Story

Hey there Ever Be Beauties!! I’m so thankful that you’ve found yourself here reading my blog today, because it’s about to get real up in here! One thing I want you guys to know is that I want to be my most vulnerable and real self with y’all. There are things about me that have made me who am and why I am the way that I am. I could’ve easily titled this post “My story” but there’s a reason why I didn’t. Yes, I’m a two-time cancer survivor and my family and I have been affected by cancer for many years. Although cancer has taken up a lot of my life time, it’s still only just a piece of my story. Cancer isn’t my life label. Disease didn’t get the victory, God did, and I’m here today to tell y’all my healing story! God has came through for me in many ways, at many different times, but I want to tell you about this piece of my story.

It was 2005, I was 5 years old and in pre-k at the time. I was a normal, life loving little girl, with a lot of sass, but over time there were signs that things weren’t quite right. What had started out as what we thought was an infected elbow joint, and then possibly rheumatoid arthritis, suddenly became cancer! I had been diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. What was normal anymore? Life was completely turned upside down for my family and I. The thought of going through 2 years and 3 months of chemotherapy was hardly within our comprehension, but soon became what consumed our lives. My health wasn’t good, but God still was! I made it through the first time and was in remission for almost 3 years. Little did I know there would be a second go around. In February of 2010 I complained to my mom about a lump in front of my left ear. I visited the pediatrician who informed us that it was something called a Preauricular Cyst. My mom had told the doctors that I had been complaining of pain in my thighs, back, and wrist. Bloodwork from a finger prick revealed nothing unusual. All the symptoms noticed never seemed to show up in the bloodwork. He advised my mom to continue to monitor me and if she still felt uneasy, to bring me back and he would do further tests. We were referred to the ENT to see what to do about the cyst.  I was put on an antibiotic for 10 days to try to see if that would get rid of it. When it didn’t, I was scheduled to have it surgically removed, but developed a terrible chest cold and could not be sedated for the procedure. Once again, I was put on an antibiotic and rescheduled for surgery. Finally, 2 months after first noticing the lump, it was removed. A week later, we received a call from the pediatrician that the mass was actually a Precursor B-cell Leukemic tumor. I had relapsed! A bone marrow biopsy and spinal tap were scheduled at Egleston Children’s Hospital. I began chemo again on Friday, April 12, 2010. I had to overcome many obstacles along the way, including a stroke, with a brain bleed and blood clot on the left side of my brain. I was kept sedated for days, because of all the swelling. The doctors didn’t think I’d make it. But God pulled me through and breathed life back into my body. Slowly I had to relearn how to walk and talk again. My words had a slur and I simply couldn’t remember what it felt like to have physical strength. This fight was not easy, but as I think about it, I feel like I gained so much more than I lost! My health was failing me but God pulled me through, gave me a new perspective on life, and He wrote this healing testimony just for me to show people that He is good! He is strong! He is the healer! He answers prayers! He gives life! I can say these things because He has been these things for me, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. I hate cancer but I believe it’s just another mountain that God can move. I survived the mountain in front of me, because God was always bigger than the mountain to begin with. What a mighty God we serve! I feel like that is the best thing to say to end this, “What a mighty God we serve!” 

Thank you for reading a piece of my story today and In honor of Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, I want to take a moment in remembrance of my best friend Summer Curry who passed away on this day, 12 years ago, due to cancer. Summer and I met at the hospital while going through treatment and she was one of the greatest blessings I gained through the process! We had the best friendship. We fought disease together and loved Jesus together, but we were healed in different ways. As memories of family beach trips, singing songs, and many laughs flood into my mind, I miss my sweet friend. Her love and legacy lives on and she will be my bestie for ever and ever! I want to ask everyone who reads this to please pray for every child and their family that is battling cancer right now, or who have lost a loved one due to cancer. No child, or any human for that matter, deserves to go through the side effects and pain that comes with this disease. It’s a dark place to be, but we know the God of light, peace, and healing. God is able!

Love & Blessings,

Hannah