Finding strength in the Unexpected
Your twenties are often seen as the perfect decade to explore, grow, and create unforgettable memories through travel, personal development, and adventure.
I never imagined that my adventure would take a very different path.
In 2003, at the age of 20, I was diagnosed with AML - acute myeloid leukaemia.
For several months, the hospital became my travel destination.
I was facing a completely different kind of personal development. One that tested my mental strength and forced me to mature far sooner than I had expected.
After months of chemotherapy and a stem cell transplant, I was declared in remission one year later. I am incredibly grateful to say that I remain in remission to this day.
I am grateful to share my story and my experience in the hope of empowering others to share theirs.
Because sharing is caring and sometimes, telling your story can help someone else to find strength in their own.
Hope can transform the world; hope can save lives.
Hope shines in the eyes of researchers as they examine test results.
Hope lives in the mind of a doctor beginning a new treatment.
Hope beats in the heart of a patient longing to be cured.
During my treatment my hope focused on many things:
- that the chemotherapy would do its job;
- that my brother could be my donor;
- that the stem-cell transplant would be compatible;
- and that my body would not reject it.
Fortunately, all of these hopes became reality.
However not every hope has the ending we long for.As a result, my hope has taken a different direction.
Today, I hope that doctors and researchers will continue to have the freedom to search for new treatments, without being restricted by political leaders. I hope that governments will continue to support cancer research. I hope that survivors and supporters will continue to raise money for cancer research and for people affected by cancer. I hope that our stories can be told and will be heard.
And above all, I hope we will continue to remember those whose hopes of recovery sadly never came true.