Cancer has become the scare story of the century. So much so that once a person is diagnosed with the condition, they see it as a death sentence. For the most part, it feels as if there is no sure-fire way to save yourself from it. However, every once in a while we hear news of someone who has overcome unbelievable odds to beat the condition. These are people who refuse to give up and instead fight with all they have to recover from the disease. In today’s post, we explore two individuals who, even in spite of everything, did not give up on themselves and continued fighting.
Sophie Anagnostoun and her fight against leukemia
Sophie is one of those individuals who show just how much sheer determination and the willingness to fight with all you have can accomplish. When she was only 12 years old, just as she was about to finish 6th grade, Sophie started to experience some unusual symptoms. She was regularly out of breath and often felt a pain in her wrist along with regular headaches. With each passing day, she also became paler. In the beginning, her pediatrician thought that maybe it was an infection or virus of some kind that was afflicting her. However, after several tests, they found that she had developed leukemia, much to their disbelief.
Shortly after being diagnosed with the condition, Sophie started a treatment course that consisted mostly of chemotherapy. However, the young soul had to endure more than any single person should. On the journey to recovery, she underwent additional treatments such as painful spinal taps, several surgeries, blood transfusions, and infections that threatened her life. These, accompanied by various other issues, even prevented her from attending 7th grade. However, through the sheer will to fight, things started getting better. After a while, her hair started growing back. She also started regaining her strength. Because of her fight, Anita Kruse, the founder of Purple Songs Can Fly, got in touch with her. Sophie recorded a song with the company in the hopes that it would inspire other children facing the condition like her.
Brandy Benson and Ewing Sarcoma
For most of the winter of 2008, Brandy Benson was based in Iraq with the rest of her unit. She noticed she would feel tired almost all the time, but she figured that it had to be because of the intensive training regimen that she was under. However, things changed in January 2009. Out of nowhere, she started to feel a sharp pain in her groin and the upper section of her left leg. Still being naïve of the situation she was in, she brushed it off as a sprained muscle. However, after a short time, she started to notice a large lump. It was at this point that she decided to visit the doctor.
After Brandy visited the medic, she underwent a CT scan which revealed that she had a tumor. Furthermore, it was concluded that it was Ewing Sarcoma, a very aggressive type of cancer. She had to be flown to Germany, where she underwent extensive surgery that eventually led to her losing several muscles in her leg, including her adductor muscles. Brandy had to learn how to walk all over again. Furthermore, she also underwent rounds of chemotherapy which had numerous side effects. The condition also led to her medical discharge from the army. However, Brandy continues to look on the bright side that she survived the ordeal. She refused to give up and had a positive outlook on her treatment. Without a positive outlook, she most likely would not have made it.
These are but two stories where sufferers have fought through thick and thin to survive cancer. Modern treatment is a lifeline but it can also do a lot of damage in itself. Fucoidan is a potential new treatment which is being researched for its ability to prevent cancer growth. However, receiving treatment is not enough. The will to fight and endure through the worst can help sufferers to come out of the other side, both healthy and victorious.