Meet Madeline, May’s SMOV Survivor
It was an ordinary November afternoon when I got the call…
Instead of the usual and familiar, I got the scary and unexpected, a cancer diagnosis. Stage 3 inflammatory breast cancer. I sat in my Oncologist’s office with my legs crossed, palms resting on my knees sweating and eyes gazing at the floor as I tried to make sense of what I just heard. Immediately I started sinking in desolation and drowning in fear. I felt small and insignificant. It was almost as if by being told I had cancer I expected life to stop but instead it was racing ahead of me at light speed and I felt left behind.
A couple hours later I was back home being embraced by my immediate family. Somehow nothing made me feel confident in dealing with my future.
I felt numb to the world. I am too young and to ambitious to have breast cancer. I was determined to beat it, but not how most people imagine. I was not going to fight for my life, I was going to end my life on my terms. After several weeks in this mental state, I heard a voice that said “Live”. It was so loud and so clear I could not ignore it. I seriously had an abrupt reawakening and I was forced to create a new version of myself. Step by painful step I did just that while going through treatments that make you feel worse than you can ever imagine. At present, I’m surviving cancer, but I know the next step is thriving with cancer. I now believe it’s possible and this is why I am applying for the Beach Therapy Vacation in Mexico sponsored by SFX Preferred Resorts. I’m ready to take the next step but I know I can’t do it alone. With the help of Send Me On Vacation, I know I will receive the tools to make it happen!
My time is now, my life isn’t over and I’m learning to “LIVE”
Madeline
Beth’s Sponsor is SFX Preferred Resorts
Send Me On Vacation is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that provides breast cancer survivors in need with the opportunity to initiate the process of emotional healing through a vacation experience. To learn more about SMOV or donate, go to: https://sendmeonvacation.org/donate/
