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

• April SMOV Survivor
• March SMOV Survivor
• January SMOV Survivor

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/