This was not good. In 2008, I was a very hungry three-year-old when the doctor called my Mommy and Daddy. Mommy started crying, and Daddy was white with shock! Though they wanted to feed me, life seemed to stop. They were so horrified! They said something about “stage four cancer.” I didn't understand what cancer was, but that phone call changed my life forever.
My mom was diagnosed with nasopharyngeal cancer that started in her nose then moved into her brain. It was Stage 4, the stage before death. I was clueless why she got it. I was trying to find out why Mommy was throwing up. She couldn't talk a lot. She was bedridden. Mommy couldn't play with me. I felt so sad, scared, worried, and stressed. Daddy said Mommy was very sick, but sick wasn't the right word. When I got sick, I didn’t throw up all over my pillow daily, and I didn't hurt all over.
In the past six years, no one can imagine what my mom and our family have gone through. My mommy has battled cancer three times since 2008 right after my baby brother was born. She didn't smoke, take any drugs, or drink alcohol. The terrible cancer came totally of the blue! Her cancer treatments have been so difficult: 69 radiations to her head and neck, 100 chemotherapy treatments, 13 medical trips across the United States of America, two surgeries, many ER visits and hospital stays, 100’s of medical visits, tests, therapies, scans, and blood work. In addition, Mommy has been hit by over three dozen side effects such as: a messed up jaw line, double vision, hair loss, droopy eyelid, hearing loss, taste loss, lots of head pains with sharp shooting pains in her face, etc. Our family has had such a hard time living like a normal family. For example, having birthday parties, setting up play dates, signing up for sports practice, and watching TV together, have not been easy.
Despite this cancer crisis, the good thing is that Christ has is been at work with us and others. Mom thankfully is still alive! Having to battle and survive cancer is bringing her closer to Jesus. God provided the last place in a clinical trial that was one of the three clinical trials in the world for her kind of cancer. She has a website on her journey of battling cancer with over 28,800 hits at http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/jeannieyee. Many people, including church friends and strangers, have helped our family with cards, food deliveries, driving, prayers, money, and even gifts for me! Mommy was asked to speak 17 times in churches. Our family was included in the video for UCLA shown to Hollywood movie stars. Mommy and I were in a radio broadcast that was all over Southern California. Now she’s in a book written by our former church pastor Marion Skeete!
To this day, she still is fighting to stay alive! But this journey has brought our family closer together. We all eat healthier food now, with little red meat. We pray together at bedtime. When Mom is too tired or busy helping other people with cancer, Daddy helps Joshua, my little brother, and I do homework. When Mommy was diagnosed with cancer, Grandpa and Grandma came out to visit. She brought them to Jesus for salvation. And at the same time, I accepted Christ when Daddy shared the Gospel with me! That was the best day of my life knowing that Jesus was with me. I am learning to trust God with my worries and troubles through the Bible and prayers. Throughout this cancer crisis, it has brought me, my family, and other people, closer to Jesus and wanting him for his goodness.