When one thinks of a hero, any number of images come to mind: soldiers, firemen, and depending on your political stance nowadays, police. Some may envision doctors, nurses, and paramedics in this time of Covid; others may consider teachers, truckers, grocers, and nursing home caregivers. Of course, there’s also the magical, wonderful world of Marvel superheroes, or DC if you prefer, to choose from because they are, well, literal heroes with super skill sets, uber-cool weapons, and even magic (you go, Wanda!).
But my hero is a little less flamboyant (though not by much!) than MCU, and she doesn’t carry thirty pounds of gear on her back, run into burning buildings (although she would for her kids), or patrol the streets at night. She doesn’t fly around in an iron suit (although she would if she could), nor can she wield lightning. She has, however, faced a great adversary, one that too many people lose against, and she has emerged victorious.
That enemy was ovarian cancer, and that hero is my sister.
From the time she was a baby, Kathy has fascinated me. In a lot of ways, she’s the complete opposite of me. She’s always been the social butterfly drawn to parties, cookouts, dances, and clubs. She’s never met a stranger, and if you put her in room full of people she has never met before, she will emerge twenty minutes later with full background stories on at least half the people in the room. Kathy has never been afraid to put herself out there, to let folks know she has arrived. I, on the other hand, am more comfortable observing from the corner of the room unless I am surrounded by familiar faces, and then I can find my groove. My sister’s groove is on 24/7, 365 days a year with anyone, anywhere.
She’s a forge-ahead-kind-of-person, my sister. Even when she gets down about things, she digs in and pushes through. People are drawn to her because of her outgoing, never slow down personality, but I believe her resilience is her true superpower. Her diagnosis came in February of this year, followed immediately by surgery and then six rounds of chemotherapy to obliterate the last few little nasties that had made their way into her stomach. My husband likes to say, correctly, that we never know what we would do in a certain situation until we’re in that situation. While I don’t like to entertain thoughts of being in Kathy’s situation, I can say that I don’t believe I would have handled it with the aplomb that she has. More than likely, I would have withdrawn from the world via social media, social visits, social anything other than my family until the roller coaster ride was over.
Not my sister. Kathy did what many people nowadays opt to do and got out in front of it as much as she could by shaving her head before her first treatment. She even had company in this venture as her wonderful husband Rob and one of their awesome children, Hayden, shaved their heads in solidarity with her. Now my little sister was once again what she had been the first two years of her life – a bald-headed baby! Finding the humor in her situation kept Kathy’s spirits, and the spirits of those around her, up as her treatments began.
But even chemotherapy couldn’t stop her groove, although admittedly it did slow it down somewhat. Still, Kathy forged ahead, posting updates on her FB and Twitter feeds, sharing photographs of her journey, even venturing out for a few lunches and trips to the lake. People love my sister, so she was never without company. Even on days when she felt worn out and sicky-poo from the treatments, she still managed to keep a slow jam going. Following the feeds on FB, it’s easy to see that I am not the only one wowed by her grace, her optimism, and her perseverance. She has been an inspiration to everyone who has ever known her, and no one so more than me.
Friday afternoon Kathy rang the bell. Her last round of chemo had been administered, and she had been given the all-clear from her doctor. She fought the fight, and not only did she win, she did so in a way that makes me hope I would be just as graceful, just as positive, and just as determined as she was. She kept her groove going, and that’s just what heroes do.
She is a true inspiration!! Great piece!! She is a remarkable individual who I love and adore so dearly!
We followed Kathy’s journey on FB and found ourselves smiling back at her in all of her precious posts. She faced this monster so humbly with confidence and strength she probably didn’t even know she had. Our prayers were lifted daily for her healing in Gods will. How exciting it was to watch her ring the bell! I heard her breathe that sigh as she finished ringing it, knowing the worst part was over. She said she never said the “c” word, but I think if she had, she would’ve had to say the “c” stood for Champion! What an amazing woman and you both are blessed to have one another.
Love, Ronald and Terressa (cousins)
Beautiful words from a sister!!
A glowing tribute to a sister so full of life and love. She is such an amazing daughter (in-law), wondrous mother to my grandchildren, and such a positive, powerful force to my son. She never ceases so amaze me in every thing she does. A mom cannot ask for anything more for her son and children. Kathy is an inspiration and joy to all who know and love her. We are truly blessed having her in our lives.