My Revelations from Hurricane Harvey

Once I received my diagnosis of lung cancer my entire world changed.  If you are reading this, you probably think I'm going to speak to you about grief, fear, and all the other negatives that come into play with any cancer diagnosis.

But in fact, I'm going to tell you the opposite.  Once the diagnosis was determined, and I met my entire health care team, the opposite happened. Everyone wanted to know what they could do to help.  People at my healthcare facility came out of the woodwork, it seemed, to help make my daily struggles easier. I even explained it to my youngest child as "being treated as a queen."  Even at the pharmacy, when they saw the medications and all read "DX: Lung Cancer" their attitudes changed.  My neighbors always offering to help. My friends bringing care packages.

Different Types of Transformations

It is an odd type of transformation. I see this exact transformation taking place with Hurricane Harvey and the devastation we see.  People helping people.  No prejudice.  Only kindness for their fellow residents in an attempt to save their lives.

Doesn't it seem this type of being a helpful human being only comes out of personalities when there is a tragedy?  Whether it's a health, community, world tragedy - it doesn't matter.  People want to help. Sometimes they simply do not know what to do.  They don't want to say the wrong thing, so they say nothing at all.

In the past few weeks, we've seen how horrible humans can be. Prejudice, fighting, lack of support for our government (regardless of your political beliefs) and finally, people simply treating their fellow man with brutality and ugliness.   But don't you wish it could always be like how people are helping Texas and how people help us when we are diagnosed?

We Can and Want to Help

Our health is compromised.  You know that and I know that.  But, that doesn't mean we can't help.  Is there a church or organization in your area collecting items for the victims of Harvey?  In Northeast Ohio, I've already seen dozens of places on the news collecting clothes, toiletries, diapers, blankets, shoes, etc.

Let's take a step and Pay It Forward.  Find a way to show your kindness to someone else.  Can you help with Hurricane Harvey victims?  If not, how about the next time you go to chemotherapy and see a senior citizen in the chair next to you, offer to get them a drink or a snack.  Something so small can make such a magnificent difference in someone's life.

Editor’s Note: We are extremely saddened to say that on January 28, 2020, Jennifer Toth passed away. Jennifer was a passionate advocate for the Lung Cancer community. She will be deeply missed.