Skip to content

Posts tagged ‘Cancer’

Jan 24

Lungleavin Day: A Celebration of Life and Facing Your Fears

This week, I was approached by an amazing woman, Heather Von St. James, and asked to write a small post to help spread the word about Lungleavin Day, a holiday she created after suffering from Mesothelioma. Actually, Heather asked if I would write a post about inspiration and link to her article about Lungleavin Day, but frankly, writing about Heather, her battle with cancer, and the message behind Lungleavin Day is inspiration in itself.

For those of you who are not aware, Mesothelioma is a rare type of cancer caused by asbestos exposure, which kills 90-95% of those who are diagnosed with it. Heather was diagnosed 7 years ago, when her daughter was only 3 ½ months old. I can only image the fear that must of struck Heather at this point in her life. But after reading her story, it’s clear that her strength far out weighed her fears. Today, Heather is cancer free and is using her experience in a positive way to help others. One of the ways Heather spreads her positivity, and strength is through Lungleavin Day. Read more

Dec 5

2 Comments

The Perspective of People With Down Syndrome

This image was created from the inspirational words of a young man with Down syndrome, Ben Smith. His words touched close to home . As many of you already know, my sister Jessica has Down syndrome. Jessica is also battling with breast cancer right now. This meme was created by my brother Justin . The image is of my sister Jessica and my mom just days after Jessica’s mastectomy. Jessica has shown tremendous strength and resilience throughout her treatment, something we truly believe is largely  the result of the unconditional love for life and others that she carries with herself every day. 

Share this image with others and spread some love to others today. And if you have a moment, come visit us at Jessica & Life, to learn more about Jessica’s unique experience with cancer.

Jessica and Life. With an Open Heart Blog

Have a wonderful day!!!

 

Did you find this post inspiring / Thought provoking / Worth reading? Share it with your friends!

Oct 5

13 Comments

[FEATURED POST] Vulnerability at the Core: When Your Sister is Diagnosed With Breast Cancer

with an open heart . Down Syndrome

Tuesday, July 31st began like any other day. I studied in the morning, went to work in the afternoon, and came home. When I arrived home, I talked to my mom about my day, said hello to my sister Jessica, who has Down syndrome and who was coloring at the kitchen table, and then I went up to my room to grab a couple things before heading back down to the kitchen to have a snack. As I made my way down to the kitchen, my mom softly called to me from the top of the stairs, “Nina, can you come here a second?” I continued on, and yelled up to her, “What is it?” Again, my mom says, “Nina, can you please just come here a second? I need to talk to you about something”. What? I thought. My stomach sank. That sick feeling that lingers in your gut when you’ve done something wrong and you’re about to get caught ran through me. I immediately felt like I did as a kid, -especially as a teenager, when I was about to face a major lecture and punishment for whatever terrible deed I had committed. My mind began to scramble: What did I do? Read more