Go Gold for the Cure

There are certain people who come into your life and shake it up in the most beautiful ways possible. They teach you how to have strength, how to love, and how to have unwavering faith through the hardest of times. This person for me is my best friend Sydney. Syd’s the kind of girl who could light up the room with a single smile and can turn your whole day around in two seconds flat. Through our friendship, I have been blessed beyond words in the most incredible ways. I will forever cherish the memories we’ve made and all the amazing times we’ve shared.

But though we hung out like any pair of best friends, there was an underlying darkness. No matter how healthy and well she seemed and no matter how well was able to hide it, Sydney was fighting a battle against the deadly disease known as cancer. For three years she had to undergo chemo while studying for a test, go out-of-state for surgery while somehow managing to wipe the floor at science fair, and would learn lines for a play between radiation treatments. Cancer stole so many of the “normal” aspects of a childhood from Syd as she was forced to adapt to a new lifestyle that consisted of fighting like heck- fighting a battle that she shouldn’t have to fight. While many people would buckle under those circumstances, Sydney triumphed over every obstacle that came her way with seemingly effortless strength. Never did you see her without that stunning smile lighting up her face and that unwavering faith that she never lost.

Sydney’s faith and strength taught me more than I ever could have imagined. She taught me to look up to my Father in times of trouble and not down at my own self-pity. Syd taught me about the truest form of strength and what it means to find the sunshine on a rainy day. While cancer had its minimal place in our relationship, we never let it dominate and overtake us. We learned to work around treatment, snapchatting and texting all day, and ultimately made the most of the time that we did have together. One of the biggest things I learned from our friendship was to never take anything for granted. Embrace every second of this life and fully enjoy the time that you have with those you care about. I treasure those early mornings when I’d get up just to talk to her before a surgery and to let her know that I’m thinking about her, and I’ll never forget facetiming each other from states away but still feeling as if she were right here next to me.

I never learned how precious life can be and the people who are in it until tragedy struck. This past November, God decided that He had a different answer to our prayers and answered them worlds differently than the one we had all hoped and prayed for. November 28, 2014 my beautiful best friend became my guardian angel and just like that, my world was changed forever. All we wanted was a remission and a long, thriving life for Syd, but God needed her back home. We had all been praying for healing and God delivered it in His own way. My every waking thought is filled with bits of Syd and my entire being longs for her to come back. Though it’s been months since she left her earthly body, I still don’t feel like she’s really gone. Every day I long to have that one more conversation, one more sleepover, one more anything. I long for what should have been.

Sydney deserved so much more than the few short years she was given. Earth lost one of the most beautiful souls when we lost her and this tragedy happens more often than any of us realize. My best friend was taken from me because of a disease that she never should have had to fight in the first place. Pediatric cancer is a major presence in our world today and some people don’t even know of its existence. Every day, 46 children are diagnosed with cancer and 7 earn their angel wings. Every day, child warriors are fighting for their life and some for a mere chance at one.

Funding for pediatric cancer research is devastatingly low and the awareness of childhood cancer is slim to none. Only 3.8% of public funding goes towards childhood cancer research. This number is far too low and we need to change that. I know that I’m just one person and I can’t improve this number all on my own, but I can do my best to spread the word and raise awareness in hopes that someday, somebody can. Until that number raises however, there are many organizations that are solely focused on pediatric cancer research and do their best to make up for the low amount of support and funding. A few examples of these are St. Baldricks, Cure Childhood Cancer, The Rally Foundation, and Alex’s Lemonade Stand. No child should have to receive treatment before playing with friends. No teenager should have to do the majority of their schoolwork from a hospital bed. No life should end before it even had a chance to fully begin.

Losing Sydney was the hardest thing I’ve ever endured and the pain never ends. Every day I struggle with the idea of never seeing her again (until we meet in Heaven.) My heart is broken and will forever have a piece missing, all because a disease stole another precious life. The pain that so many endure when a child leaves Earth should never be a reality. We need to stop turning a blind eye to the very real tragedies that occur each and every day, our silence needs to end. This world needs to speak up about the wrongs that we see and do whatever we can to stop them. I encourage you to join me as I go gold for childhood cancer and raise my voice for those like my beautiful best friend. Don’t let the horrific world of childhood cancer take another beautiful life before you take action. Whether you have been impacted by this evil disease, or if this is the first time you’ve heard the truth, your voice can be raised. Shine a light on this dark world. Donate to pediatric cancer research funds, or just be a voice and advocate for the cause. You’d be surprised at how much you alone can really do. Don’t be afraid. Stand up for what you believe in and stand tall.

There is a saying that goes like this, “Once you know, it’s hard to turn a blind eye.” Don’t just stand by thinking your impact is too small. You now know the harsh truth, and there are so may others that need the same. Be the voice and the light and do just that. Use your life to benefit the lives of those in need.  1 Timothy 4:12, “Do not let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith, and in purity.”

I hope that you will join me as I embark on a journey to do whatever I can to shine a light of the world of childhood cancer. I will forever fight for my best friend, for those I never got to meet, and for those that are fighting to this day. I will stand to fight. The question is… will you?

#gogoldforchildhoodcancer

and forever and aways be #sydneystrong

❤

Love y’all and God bless:)