Dear Monster,
You may not remember me. You may not remember my name, or what I look like. But I remember you. I remember the way you came into my life, the way you hurt me, broke me, and made me fight. You put me into a situation that I never expected myself to be in. You made me realize the countless people you do the same thing too, every year, and that I wasn’t the first. You force people to do things they don’t want to do, but have no choice too. When you come into our life, you never leave, your monstrous image stays in our head, and you force us to think about you. Will you ever return because one time wasn’t enough? Because one fight wasn’t to your satisfaction? The thought lingers in my head every day, and I imagine it to be the same for other people who beat you, just like me.
Cancer, you came into my life, hoping to destroy me. Hoping to tear me apart and make me fight for my life. You affected me for three years forcing me to quit things I loved, basketball, track and field, you even made me give up a dream education at a D1 school. You came into my life and discouraged me and broke me down, but you didn’t win. You opened my eyes and showed me so much. You showed me what I had to be thankful for, and made me see the positives hidden within you.
If your hope was to break me down and tear me apart, you didn’t. As crazy as it sounds, you made me a better person, and I wouldn’t change that for anything. You brought my family closer together and showed us what it’s like to fight for one thing. You taught me to lose my filter and say what’s on my mind, because I never know when I won’t be able to. You brought my best friend and I closer than we ever had been before, and even helped do away with some of the negative people in my life. You taught me to feel beautiful without hair, and showed me where true beauty comes from. You allowed me to get to know some amazing doctors, nurses, and child life specialists along the way, and made me realize how I can help others who are in just as awful of a situation as I was. You showed me what I am capable of, and what I can accomplish when I put my mind to it. You introduced me to countless opportunities like Love Your Melon, Colleges Against Cancer, and simply sharing my story with others. You helped me see what I want to do with my future, and pointed me in the direction of pediatric oncology. You came into my life hoping to destroy me, but honey you didn’t, you built me up! Built me into a strong, confident, determined, young woman.
Before, during, and after my fight, there were multiple people I knew who you were relentless with, and made them fight to the bitter end. You constantly came back, and forced them to be sick and unhappy for far too long. You crossed the line. You took the lives of people who weren’t done living yet. You forced parents to lose their children, and children to lose their parents. There’s nothing more monstrous than that. But let me tell you something Cancer, because of what you have done, we will never stop fighting. We will fight to the bitter end to find a way to end you. To make you stop your awful ways and to eliminate the fear so many people harbor each and every day because of you.
I hope you can see how strong you’ve made me, and you think twice before you affect your next victim.
Sincerely,
A Strong Willed Fighter
