She inspired me

Last week I met a woman at gymnastics who told me her story.  Her story has changed me.  The joy I see in this woman is amazing, and the life she has lived and the things she has been through would blow your mind away, especially if you are a mom.

Three years ago she found out she was pregnant.  She had a 3 year old daughter at the time and this new baby was to be a boy.  I can imagine she was thrilled to pieces when she heard this news.

Then she began having chest pains.  She was 28 weeks pregnant and went to see her doctor within a doctor's visit her life completely changed.  She found out she had hodgkins lymphoma and it was spread throughout her lungs.  By week 29 of her pregnancy she was scheduled for chemo.

Can you imagine being told you have cancer while you are pregnant?  I cannot imagine the feeling.  I would be so fearful of not only my own life but the life of my baby.

But God did amazing things for this woman.  She delivered a healthy baby boy named Aiden who is now 2 1/2 years old.  Immediately after she had the baby she started radiation treatment and within a few months the cancer stopped spreading and she is now cancer free.

First of all when you meet this woman you only see her smile.  She is full of joy and life.  She is so loving and patient with her son.  She never looks tired or frustrated.  And it got me to thinking...I bet she would never have imagined that at age 34 she would be pregnant and diagnosed with cancer, and now almost 3 years later have a healthy boy and a healthy body.  God has been so good to her and you can tell that she is thankful for life.

It made me stop and think about how blessed I am just to have life.  Just to be alive and wake up this morning is a blessing.  All of our days are numbered and I am thankful today for yet another day to celebrate life.