Hope and Courage

I was diagnosed with lymphoma when I was 33 weeks pregnant with our fourth child. I did not know what the future would hold for us, and I was frightened. My community came together in a way that still brings me to tears. The other residents, attendings, staff, employees, church community, and people I had never met came together to offer support, brought food to myself and my family, bought Christmas gifts for my children, donated milk for my newborn, and even donated money towards medical expenses. Their outpouring of love and support made me feel seen and valued and gave me the courage to face my treatment with confidence. Because they loved me, I vowed that as I faced my own mortality, I would not be a dying ember, but a supernova of love for those around me. If I was going to die, I wanted everyone to remember me for how I loved.
It is an experience that changed me for the better forever, and I will always be grateful that my cancer gave me the chance to transform and to experience this love.

Lumea, Des Moines, USA