Strawberry Freezer Jam
May 9, 2012
Baby fidget blankets
May 11, 2012I’d like to share an inspiring story with you from one of my readers. Her amazing story and strength shows how much love moms have for their children and what they are willing to sacrifice and do for them.
Meet Heather and her family
…
Here’s her remarkable story:
A Village for Lily
The saying goes “It takes a village to
raise a child,” and I’m here to tell you, it’s the truth. On August 4th,
2005, I gave birth to a beautiful baby girl named Lily. Our own personal “village” began to
develop shortly after Lily’s birth. Our parents, families and friends came in a
steady stream to greet our precious bundle of joy, give advice and wish us
luck. Things were perfect. They would not stay that way. After I returned to work full time, I noticed
something concerning. I just couldn’t seem to catch my breath. I never had any
energy and I was tired all the time. Something was wrong. November 21, 2005 – Lily was almost 3-1/2 months
old and I was diagnosed with malignant pleural mesothelioma. My doctor said the
cancer was probably caused by asbestos exposure when I was a child. I never spared a thought for myself in those
first moments. I thought about Lily and my husband. I thought of him raising
her alone, without me. I knew I would do whatever it took to be there for my
family. My doctor gave me 15 months to live without
treatment. He laid out some options and I chose the most drastic– for Lily. Less than three months after my diagnosis my
husband and I flew to Boston. On February 2nd, I had a procedure known as extrapleural pneumenectomy.
In layman’s terms, they removed my left lung and all of the surrounding tissue. Then came the radiation and the
chemotherapy…tough for anyone, but devastating for a new mom. All I wanted
was Lily! We never would have gotten through this trying
time had our village not surrounded us with their love. Cancer allows you to
see what really matters in life. My parents took care of Lily while we were in
Boston and a village developed around them as well. Kids I had taken care of as
a teenager came to watch Lily while my mom and dad worked. People I had grown
up with became Lily’s village. In South Dakota, Lily was eating solid food and
learning to get around on her own. I saw this only in black and white copies of
pictures. My nurses would exclaim over the pictures and I would fight back
tears. This was for Lily. This fight, these procedures, the private hell I was
going through on a daily basis – it was all for Lily. I knew she was safe; I knew my parents were
taking amazing care of her. To this day, she still has an incredible bond with
my mom and dad, despite the months and miles that separate her from their
embraces. We did the best we could and we made it. Now we
hold onto life for all it’s worth because cancer taught us just how fragile
life can be. Cancer is horrible, but the lessons it teaches
ring true. Good comes with the bad. Our village came through for us. For that,
I will always be grateful.
raise a child,” and I’m here to tell you, it’s the truth. On August 4th,
2005, I gave birth to a beautiful baby girl named Lily. Our own personal “village” began to
develop shortly after Lily’s birth. Our parents, families and friends came in a
steady stream to greet our precious bundle of joy, give advice and wish us
luck. Things were perfect. They would not stay that way. After I returned to work full time, I noticed
something concerning. I just couldn’t seem to catch my breath. I never had any
energy and I was tired all the time. Something was wrong. November 21, 2005 – Lily was almost 3-1/2 months
old and I was diagnosed with malignant pleural mesothelioma. My doctor said the
cancer was probably caused by asbestos exposure when I was a child. I never spared a thought for myself in those
first moments. I thought about Lily and my husband. I thought of him raising
her alone, without me. I knew I would do whatever it took to be there for my
family. My doctor gave me 15 months to live without
treatment. He laid out some options and I chose the most drastic– for Lily. Less than three months after my diagnosis my
husband and I flew to Boston. On February 2nd, I had a procedure known as extrapleural pneumenectomy.
In layman’s terms, they removed my left lung and all of the surrounding tissue. Then came the radiation and the
chemotherapy…tough for anyone, but devastating for a new mom. All I wanted
was Lily! We never would have gotten through this trying
time had our village not surrounded us with their love. Cancer allows you to
see what really matters in life. My parents took care of Lily while we were in
Boston and a village developed around them as well. Kids I had taken care of as
a teenager came to watch Lily while my mom and dad worked. People I had grown
up with became Lily’s village. In South Dakota, Lily was eating solid food and
learning to get around on her own. I saw this only in black and white copies of
pictures. My nurses would exclaim over the pictures and I would fight back
tears. This was for Lily. This fight, these procedures, the private hell I was
going through on a daily basis – it was all for Lily. I knew she was safe; I knew my parents were
taking amazing care of her. To this day, she still has an incredible bond with
my mom and dad, despite the months and miles that separate her from their
embraces. We did the best we could and we made it. Now we
hold onto life for all it’s worth because cancer taught us just how fragile
life can be. Cancer is horrible, but the lessons it teaches
ring true. Good comes with the bad. Our village came through for us. For that,
I will always be grateful.
To read more about Heather visit her blog:
Thanks for sharing your story!
