Hello, Beautiful People! We hope you're having a wonderful day, and that you started off this week in the best possible conditions.

Here we are, our first ever episode of HerStory. The submissions are anonymous, so we have no way to reach out to our guest; however, we sincerely thank them for taking part into this project, and we hope they will soon come across this.

The first episode of HerStory is a testimony, a sad situation, but also a proof of strength and a word of encouragement. To anyone in a similar situation, we hope you can find the strength to keep going, and we hope you have around you people who love and cherish you, people you can rely on to keep going. And although we might not know one another, we want you to know we are cheering for you.

At the age of eleven I was diagnosed with cancer. At fourteen, I had my third surgery, I spent three weeks in the hospital. Two weeks later, I was right back at the hospital. At first, the doctors thought I was just playing around. It took three months before they realized something was wrong. Emergency surgery began. The surgeon found the missing x amount of feet the main surgeon had lost during my second surgery at thirteen. That section was dying or some part dead. They had to cut up to my ileum, which is the part of your intestines that absorbs nutrients that you NEED to live. The main surgeon however, he cut half of my ileum. One of my incisions ended up being infected from my abdomen wall to my intestinal wall. For months, I had to go to the operating room, put under just so they could pack my wound every three days. I spent 6 and half months in the hospital all because of one simple mess up the year before. 

December first came around, and the doctors kept asking what I wanted for Christmas, I am a fourteen-year-old who is depressed. My response from the start "I want to go home for Christmas." I didn't care if I had to have a pick line and the feeding tube to do so. I wanted to go home to be with my family. 

December twenty-third I got my wish, I went home. My mom was a nurse at the hospital I spent so long living at. My surgeon and GI doctor asked my mom how I was, and she responded that day (three weeks after I was discharged) that I was doing good. They said "That's great to hear considering we sent her home to pass away in her environment." 

My mom came home immediately upset and hugged the life out of me. She told me what was said and all I could do was smile and tell her "I am breathing mama, I am okay. My soul is still fighting, so I am not going anywhere." My feeding tube a week later come out because I had an upset tummy. Doctor removed it and I began to eat like normal. 

Each day I fought through everything. My depression slowly started to ease with time. My main supporter was my brother. He was my rock; he did not let me have a down day. As soon as the "look" came across my face, he was there, ready to pick me back up. Without my brother, I don't know if I would have had the strength to fight as much as I did. Without him, I do not know where I would be. I am glad I had my parents, (mom and stepdad) and my brothers, especially the second oldest of us all by my side. Like I said, he was my rock, my solid concrete wall to hold me up at times. He was light that guided me through my darkest nights. He still is to this day my light. 

I learned to love my scars, I learned to live life, I learned to speak and tell people who are going through what I went through that it gets better with time. I've been told people who had cancer are the ones who smile the most and are the friendliest people they've met. I have always been a smiley and kind child before cancer, and I became kinder and smiled even more than before, which I first thought would have been impossible. 

So, anyone going through cancer, you got this, do not give up. Suicidal humans, you aren't alone, if you need someone to talk to— I won't judge. I won't interrupt. I will simply listen. I will be the rock for you like my brother was and is for me. Keep fighting, you have people in your corner. I promise. I will be one of them.

So just know, you are NOT alone.

Take care!