Why I fight?

I fight because I know how it feels to be told “You have cancer”.

I was diagnosed with thyroid cancer in 2021 at age 30. At first, I was terrified asking myself “Will I survive?”, and later “What is my future quality of life?” It wasn’t until I began treatments at Northwestern Medicine that my perspective changed. I shared waiting rooms with adults who had it much worse than me. I’d share elevator rides with sick children who still managed to laugh and enjoy life. After speaking to doctors, surgeons, and nurses about my sickness, I knew I would be fine, but I wondered about the rest of us there. They didn’t have it as easy as I did. I fight so others will not have to ask themselves if they will survive, but know they will. I fight to show survivors that we can come out the other side of diagnosis as stronger and capable of anything.