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“Cancer” is a strange word. When most young people who have never been touched by this disease hear someone say “Cancer”, it usually goes in one ear and out the other without ever really thinking about it. Maybe it is that young people hear about it all the time in the news and see it in movies, or maybe they are just too afraid to really take the time to understand it.
I was one of those people.
[Working in Guatemala for Community Enterprise Solutions]
I didn’t fully understand what cancer was until it literally hit me so hard in the stomach that it made me physically stop in my tracks and threw me into the fight of my life. Suddenly, I went from working in Guatemala to lying in a hospital bed in Colorado Springs with a doctor telling me that I was going to have surgery in a day and start chemotherapy in a week. As anyone one can imagine this was a bit of shock.
Four rounds of chemo (wish I had a Libre sweater for my port access), two surgeries and many additional trips to Rocky Mountain Cancer Center later I found something. I found that the word “Cancer” led me to meet some of the most courageous, generous, and inspirational people that I have ever met. I quickly discovered that there is an army of Cancer survivors that not only beat this terrible disease but, for the most part, want to help others that are currently going through similar, physical, mental, and emotional feelings. It led me to meet new friends; it gave me the courage to follow my passion.
[After my last round of chemo visiting my sister]
My personal passion is to help others who are dealing with cancer because I know what it is like to be in the trenches, and I learned how uplifting sharing feelings with other people can be. I had the privilege of becoming good friends with Laird while living in Boulder, Colorado this past year. Laird was not only the toughest and most engaging five-year old I have ever met, but he also went through a cancer treatment that made mine look like a walk in the park. Laird and I became quick friends after sharing a burrito and laughing hysterically through the movie Despicable Me, during a hospital visit. Laird taught me that I should step back and take a drink of my own “medicine” of what I was sharing with others; so, I quit my job, chased my dream, and move to San Francisco.
[My friend Laird! He's in remission and I look forward to sharing more burritos!]
“Cancer” may always be a strange word to some, but for those people who are touched by this disease, you have the chance to be an inspiration to people everywhere you go. Before you know it, you will have forgotten about all the pills you took, dr. appointments you had, and you will be in a very unique situation. I hated it when someone during my treatment said to me, “You will be back to normal and where you were in no time.” If you take anything from this post, I encourage everyone to not focus on the past, but focus on moving forward, because there is no going back to who you were. So think about who you can NOW support and help with your new look on life and positive attitude.
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So much thanks goes out to our friend Mike for sharing his incredible story! He's been a great supporter of Libre and we are more than happy to share his positive and uplifting story with everyone who comes across it.
A little bit more on Mike - he is a cancer survivor turned social entrepreneur that currently lives in San Francisco. He currently is working at his dream job at Global Mojo , which helps generate revenue to non-profits supporting various causes and missions. If you want to contact or follow Mike directly please click here.