When Stephanie Williams was diagnosed with lung cancer, her first thought was of her child. Today, she is a powerful advocate fighting for her future and for all mothers facing lung cancer.
“One of the biggest questions
when my treatment plan was laid out was,
‘How is my kindergartner going to get
to and from school
and her after-school activities?’”
Stephanie recalls, as kindergarten was only half-day in her area. The logistics of daily life became an immediate concern as appointments and treatments filled her calendar.
Finding External Strength
Despite often hearing “You are so strong” from well-meaning supporters, Stephanie acknowledges that her strength came largely from external sources — her family cooking meals, her in-laws helping with transportation, and her mother driving from Ohio to stay for each round of chemotherapy, and her husband researching her diagnosis.
“Progression-free survival means that we can volunteer at our kids’ book fairs because we’re not in the hospital. It could mean being at the class Halloween parties because we’re not getting chemo, or even just being able to pick up the kids after soccer practice. That’s not just memories made, but it’s the solid participation in our children’s lives that progression-free survival gives us.”
Honest Conversations with Children
When explaining her diagnosis to her daughter, Stephanie used age-appropriate language: “I told her that there was something in my lung that was making me cough, and the doctors took it out so that I wouldn’t cough anymore and it wouldn’t keep getting bigger.”
As her daughter has grown, so have their conversations about cancer. Stephanie encourages her daughter to come to her with questions, especially if she hears about cancer elsewhere, so they can discuss similarities and differences between situations.
Finding Hope for the Future
Despite the challenges, Stephanie finds hope in the passionate advocates and medical professionals dedicated to lung cancer research.
“I see doctors early in their careers who have so much zeal for lung cancer and finding a cure… I wouldn’t be surprised if they’re really having breakthroughs that are going to be really exciting for the lung cancer community.”
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