This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Health & Fitness

Hello, Patch. My name is Brit and I have the most amazing aunt.

My biggest inspiration is my Aunt Michele. Her life has been one heck of a ride but without her I wouldn’t be who I am today. In her early 20s, shortly after losing her mother to lung cancer, she was diagnosed with cervical cancer. It was a time of deep sadness and uncertainty. While she beat the cervical cancer she lost her ability to have children. And boy has she has always loved children. At the time, her sisters were being pulled into bad decisions as coping mechanisms with the loss of their mother. My mother and my cousin’s (Lisa) mother could no longer care for us. My aunt saved us from adoption and we became the children she could never have. Funny how life works out isn’t it? Growing up, she showered us with love. We were never in want of anything and she gave us a wonderful upbringing. She became a mom to me and my cousin a sister. Together, we got through anything; bad days at school, breakups, illnesses, etc. She always knew the right things to say and would give us anything we needed.

Growing up in Florida we would frequent the theme parks – Disney, Universal, Sea World, you name it.  I remember one year that was very different from the rest and not just because my best friend was coming along. It was 2010 and we got a hotel in Orlando for a few nights so that we could go to all the Disney Parks – man, is that tiring. Especially for my aunt, that was the beginning of her not feeling well. Although she was in pain, she tried not to let it prevent us from having a great time. She took it easy and as soon as we were back home she started seeing various doctors to figure out the cause of her pain. In a few months time she would receive her second diagnosis of cancer. This time colon cancer.Even as I write this, I feel a heavy weight come over me and I’m paused in reflection.  I remember I felt angry. How could something so awful happen to someone so wonderful, who has helped so many people and has been through so much (stories to come in this blog). There are so many crappy people out there, why not them? Why her? Why? It was pretty severe and she had to go through a very intense operation (blog to follow) with a high risk that she might not make it through. Thank God, she did. During the operation they also found cancer in her fallopian tubes but assured us they removed all the cancer they saw. Just as a precaution, she continued with chemo afterwards. And that was the worst part, the chemo. I had never heard my aunt sound so defeated. She was always a beacon of hope and resilience. Even when I felt like we had been defeated she would remind me that she was strong and not giving up. But that attitude slowly depleted with chemo treatments. But, she made it through although her standard of living was greatly depleted afterwards. She could no longer work, her diet was severely limited and she struggled to do her favorite things, like gardening. She stayed positive and made the most of her situation teaching me to always persevere.

Fast-forward a year or two to last Spring (2013). My aunt went in for a routine check to make sure the cancer stayed at bay. We were once again struck with terrible news. This time the scans found the colon cancer had spread to her liver and thyroid. Once again, I was overcome with anger. Could she handle another surgery? More chemo? Ultimately the doctors gave her very limited time to live without chemo and perhaps some more years with the chemo. I remembered the last time she had chemo and the toll it took on her. But, that didn’t stop her. She still had the fight in her and decided to pursue the chemo. It was working well in the beginning. After her first few treatments it looked like the cancer wasn’t spreading which was the goal. However, a few weeks ago that changed and now she has been switched to a new treatment.

Michele’s birthday is April 24th and I’ve been thinking a lot about what I want to give her. Birthdays mean a lot more to me and my family now and I want to celebrate another year of living and battling cancer by honoring her in some way. She never wants any “gifts” and she’s so selfless so I had to be a little creative. I’ve decided that I am going to raise money to give to the American Cancer Society in her name and to present to her for her needs.  And I need your help. I’ll admit, I was hesitant to do this for fear of being vulnerable and opening up or not raising a lot money. But, my love for my aunt is greater than my fears. Why should I be afraid of these things when people like her fight for their lives every day? In the coming weeks I’ll be opening up through this blog by telling stories and lessons she has taught me in hopes that you’ll open up for her and the millions of people and families affected by cancer. Any contribution you can make will make my aunt’s birthday so special and will be put to an amazing cause. Even if you can’t make a monetary donation, please leave a birthday wish! I want her to have more birthday wishes than she’s ever had in her life. I want her to know there are so many people out there rooting for her and care about her and know her story. And please, share with YOUR friends and family.  I choose not to look at it that she’s dying from cancer but that she’s living from all the love and support she has.

Find out what's happening in Vernonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?