Help a Friend Fight Cancer

One of my friends has been dianosed with stage IV Hodgin's Lymphoma and she has been battling it for 2 years now.  I know, lots of people either directly or indirectly have been affected by cancer, but when it happens to someone so young, it hurts!  I went to Univesity with Denila, we were classmates for 4 years, and its hard to think that someone so friendly, lively and outgoing is going through so much pain right now and I can't even begin to imagine what I would do in the same situation.

I debated about whether or not to post this, but I've realized that if even one person makes a donation, it will still make a world of difference.  Rather than try to write and make a mess of Denila's ordeal, I'll paste below her own words from her gofundme page here.

"My name is Denila and I am 29 years old. Two years ago, when I discovered a lump in my neck, I never imagined that my whole life would change completely. It was twelve days after my son’s fourth birthday, on 24th March, 2014, that my doctor diagnosed me with stage IV Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. In the beginning, I simply refused to accept the diagnosis. How could I have cancer? No one in my circle of family and friends had this disease. But as I waited in the waiting room, I saw patients with bald heads, tubes attached to their nose and mouths and in great pain. Reality hit me hard. I was one of them.

As part of my treatment, I underwent six lines of chemotherapy, bone marrow biopsy, lung biopsy and numerous PET scans. I quit my job. Today, I can no longer look after my son the way I used to. I loved to bake cakes for my husband, but now I no longer bake. I had smooth and silky hair and I enjoyed dressing up and trying out new hair styles. Today, I am learning to deal with my complete hair loss. I can no longer enjoy the simple pleasures of playing outdoors with my son or go shopping to a mall, for fear of catching an infection. I miss having a good night's sleep. I try to be strong but I am human. On days when I am weak, I feel anguish and pain. 

However, in spite of the tears, I have reason to cheer. I have been blessed with an incredible family. My husband has been my beacon of hope. No matter how hard it has been for me and for him, he always smiles. My mother has been by my side throughout my treatment. She’s the one who tirelessly attends to all my needs, be it preparing nutritious soups and juices or praying with me. My in-laws have also been extremely supportive. They look after my son and make sure that I get all the rest I need. They are old and it hasn’t been easy for them, but they have never complained. So many of my cousins and friends have reached out to me. And I am so grateful to my pastor for the encouragement he has given me. His sermons fill me with immense hope and strength to fight my disease. I desperately want to live for my son, my husband, my family. I have dreams of leading a normal life again and I trust in God that I will be healthy once more.I am grateful that today, Hodgkin’s Lymphoma is one of the most curable forms of cancer. As part of my current treatment, I have been prescribed Brentuximab Vedotin. This is a prohibitively expensive drug, but it promises me new hope. Having exhausted my funds on chemotherapy, I am now depending on the kindness of friends and strangers. I would be extremely thankful to you, for any amount that you can contribute. No donation is too small. With your prayers and contributions, I know I can be healed."

There's a community facebook page here where Denila posts her updates.  If you can take take it in your heart to make a donation, please do so here.  Gofundme has a 5% commission fee however, so you'd like to send direct to Denila, please email me at according2mimi(at)gmail.com.

Even if you can't contribute, please share this with your friends and family.  Every bit counts.  God bless!