FAQs
We receive so many questions! I hope our journey can help you along the way….
Q: How do you stay so strong?
A. My faith in God is my main source of strength. Leah gives me strength because if she can stay strong while fighting cancer, then so can I. I also draw strength from family and friends who genuinely love and care about us.
Q: When/how/or did you tell your daughter what happens when you don’t beat cancer?
A: I chose to wait until Leah asked me, which didn’t happen until she was in remission. I think children are so resilient because they don’t really understand they’re fighting for their lives. I didn’t want Leah to know what was at stake because I wanted her to stay positive and just be a little girl.
Q: How did you decide which treatments were best for Leah?
A: I researched and prayed a lot! I investigated treatments on the Internet, called several doctors for second opinions, and contacted other families in similar situations. It’s tough making a decision that your child’s life depends on. Ultimately, I made an informed decision that felt right.
Q: How do you cope with Leah’s illness and all that is required? Did you ever feel like you hit rock bottom? How did you recover?
A: After a while, I learned to stop asking why and accepted our life now, which helped everyday to be a little less stressful. So many times I felt like I was hitting rock bottom, but Leah and my faith, family, and friends, kept me motivated.
Q: How did you choose which doctors and hospital would treat your daughter?
A: I researched Leah’s cancer and tried to understand it from a doctor’s perspective. Then, I researched hospitals that offered the best treatments for her particular cancer.
Q: How do you keep Leah so happy and positive when she has to endure difficult treatments and unexpected change?
A: I try to remain positive around Leah, and I work hard to keep a smile on her face. Before my daughter was diagnosed, we were already very close, and I knew everything about her – what makes her feel happy, sad,
scared, and brave. Knowing Leah so well helps me coach her through the cancer battle.
Q: How are you helping Leah accept her new life? It must be hard for her, often looking different from her peers, being unable to attend school, and missing out on little kid activities.
A: I tell Leah how beautiful she is every single day. It’s hard because she wants to play with her friends and just be a regular kid. We spend a lot of quality time together – singing, dancing, talking, laughing, reading, watching TV – whatever she enjoys. I constantly tell her life will go back to normal after she ‘beats up cancer.’
If you’d like to ask Leah or me a question, please send it to stillstrongfoundation@gmail.com. We’ll do our best to answer each and every one!
