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Patient Story |
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Amber New York, NY United States Female Living with Leukemia - non-specific for 10 years, 3 months Age: 29 I learned last summer that Jenny, my high school field hockey co-captain, had leukemia. I was devastated. I didn't understand how someone who had been so healthy and who had only just finished her first year of college could be sick, but she was. Jenny was in the hospital getting intense chemo treatments for weeks and weeks. My friends and I would all hop on the train to Boston to go see her, and every time we were there she would always have a smile on her face or let us know how happy she was to see us. Her smile alone made me realize that no matter how hard life can be it is still life so I should enjoy it. It was through Jenny that I became involved in the Light The Night Walk in Providence, Rhode Island. It was an amazing experience to see so many people gathered together with one common goal: to find a cure. Although I didn't think that my $325 was much, when it was added to the amounts that everyone else had collected it turned into a lot of money. A few months after the Walk, my father was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma. I thought my world was going to end. This was my father, the man who raised me when my parents divorced. I didn't know what to do. My father started chemo the day after Christmas in 2000. While home on my winter break I took him to a few chemo treatments, and I could see the fight in his eyes. My dad was always up for a challenge. He was ready to take this on and anything else life had in store for him. Unfortunately, in March 2000 Jenny passed away, and in April 2000 my father also passed away. In their passing I learned more things than any college could teach me. I learned that life is precious and, as my dad always said, 'Life is good.' There is not a day that goes by that I don't think of Jenny and my dad. Their amazing smiles through the pain is what I will keep with me when things in my life seem to be going wrong. Now I am trying to do my best to help win the fight against cancer, and although I have very little money of my own I am going to try to keep doing the Light the Night walks in memory of my dad and Jenny. Even if I can only donate a dollar because times are hard then I will give that dollar with pride because every dollar counts. This is what I have to say to all the young people out there: you too can help even if it seems small to you. As they said in the movie, 'The Power of One,' the waterfall starts with one drop. |
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