Lucy started her battle with Leukemia/cancer December 2017. She was 2 1/2 years old. Our entire world was flipped upside down and the past 2.5 years have been the hardest years of our lives.
There were many days we all wanted to give up or didn’t think we could take another day, but Lucy was the one that kept us all going and willing to fight. She endured endless amounts of chemo, over 50 lumbar punctures, many nights/weeks spent at CHOC hospital away from her family, allergic reactions to chemo, shots of chemo in her thigh for over 6 weeks, taking 6-8 oral chemo pills each night, telling me she felt car sick every single day, endless days of throwing up, getting her port accessed over a 100 times, severe leg pain unable to walk, loosing all of her beautiful hair, spending Christmas at the hospital, unable to leave the house for a year, I could go on and on.
I often wondered why it was Lucy and not me. Watching your own child suffer is something I can’t explain. I felt helpless. I wanted to trade her places every single day. I was told several times in the hospital that Lucy had a special spirit about her. She was calm and made everyone around her calm too. She came to earth with a sweet spirit and was able to share that with a new community of people and touch many people’s lives.
I would never wish the past 2.5 years upon anyone but will say that positive things came out of it. Our family was served and loved and carried by so many people in our stake and community. The endless amount of love that was shown to my family and kids during the past 2 1/2 years I will carry with me forever.
I personally felt Heavenly Father carrying me in the moments I didn’t think I could go on another day. I often had to remind myself that just like I would not leave Lucy stranded, my Heavenly Father did not leave me stranded and was with me every step of the way. Even at times I felt alone, He was near and placed people in my life to help carry my family along.
Cancer is a battle that is easily seen and people rally around. This has opened my eyes that everyone is fighting their own type of cancer and we all need to help and serve those around us. You never know what anyone else is going through, so remember to love and serve those around you because that is the one thing that kept my family afloat the past 2.5 years. Lucy ended treatment April 11, 2020. - Kim Townsend
