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/

ResortTrades

Recent Posts

Sports Illustrated Resorts Announces New Resort Destination Near LSU In Baton Rouge

Travel + Leisure Co. (NYSE:TNL), a leading leisure travel company, today announced plans for a…

5 days ago

Expanding Bandwidth: How AI and flexible expertise are giving resort teams more time for the work only they can do

Somewhere in your organization right now, someone who should be solving a real problem is…

7 days ago

Leave Policies: Avoid Costly Legal Errors

Abstract: Company leave policies must comply with a growing patchwork of overlapping federal, state and…

1 week ago

A Transformational Year for Westgate Resorts: Growth, Momentum, and a New Operational Era

The past twelve months have marked one of the most consequential periods in the history…

2 weeks ago

Meatballs, Mindset, and the Choice to Move Forward

When you hear the title Meatballs & Mindset, you might expect a cookbook, a family…

2 weeks ago

Sena Hospitality Design is Finalist for Four Awards from the American Resort Development Association

Sena Hospitality Design Inc., an Orlando-based licensed interior design firm specializing in resorts, has been…

3 weeks ago