True Life Story
Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United States. Nearly every American is affected by this disease in some way.
Nineteen-year-old Angelica Ferris of Brattleboro, Vermont, reflects on how this deadly disease affected her. At age twelve, her life was changed forever when her mother, Lorraine, was diagnosed with breast cancer.
“She had to go for a simple mammogram, but when the wait ended up being two hours long, I knew something was wrong. My heart sank when I saw her come out of the doctor’s office crying,” Angelica said.
When Angelica first learned of her mother’s breast cancer, she constantly thought the worst and was scared her mother was going to die. She was reminded of her aunt’s death to breast cancer three years earlier.
“I cried myself to sleep every night and worried I would grow up without having a mom,” she said.
Seeing her mother go through chemotherapy was the most difficult for Angelica; it caused Lorraine to lose her hair and become very pale. Coming home every day and seeing how sick her mom was brought Angelica to her lowest point and made her feel helpless to this disease.
“My mom looked like she was slowly dying,” Angelica said. “Seeing how traumatic it was for her broke my heart. All I wanted to do was make her feel better, but I couldn’t. I used to tell her I wished I had cancer instead of her.”
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Lorraine’s positive attitude gave her daughter hope. She was determined to beat her cancer and kept pushing forward in her treatments. Angelica and her family dedicated their time to Lorraine with the love and support she needed. They wanted to get through the disease together.
After 24 months of treatment, Lorraine was cancer free. She was going out more and wore scarves instead of wigs because she felt more like herself than she did during her illness.
“Seeing her get better made me know that everything was going to be OK and as a family we were going to get through this together,” Angelica said.
Lorraine has been cancer free for five years and is a role model to her daughter. She has shown Angelica that she can get through anything.
“She is a survivor and I really look up to her,” Angelica said. “She is my hero.”
After telling her story, Angelica learned about the AMHA Youth Council’s charity venture, Justin Time For A Cure. The fundraiser benefits the Oklahoma City based Shirley Bowman Nutrition Clinic, which supports a national program designed to help patients manage their treatment against cancer. Youth members will be distributing donation cards and selling lavender ribbons, clothing, and crafts at local horse shows throughout the show season. Angelica would like to let everyone know that by donating you truly help save someone’s life, like her mother’s. She believes the biggest reward is knowing you have helped save another person’s life.