In my freshman year of college I was asked to write a short memoir. The professor explained that we should choose an event that impacted our lives. I knew immediately that I would write about my Papaw and the events that had occurred just a year prior. November is pancreatic cancer awareness month, and it holds a special place in my heart. I usually read this story once a year, and it's always bittersweet. This is how my paper went. (I got an A by the way, and my teacher was very touched by my story.)

Have Your Voice Heard: Become an Odyssey Creator

It was the day after Thanksgiving and also the day of the Iron Bowl. I was at one of my friend’s house watching the game with a group of people. As the game ended, my mom arrived to pick me up. When I opened the car door, I immediately knew something was wrong by the look on her face. My Papaw had been unusually sick for a few weeks, so I had a feeling I knew what it was. However, my heart was hoping for otherwise. I said, “Is it Papaw?” With tears in her eyes, she confirmed my fears. I was thinking to myself, please not cancer, anything but that. She then told me that the doctor was not sure but that he had received a letter referring him to an oncologist. Just hearing that word made my heart drop into my stomach. I was left with unanswered questions and a broken heart. All I could do was pray.

We had to wait a few days before his appointment and then a few more days for the results. The dreaded day was Wednesday, December 1st. This day was also my seventeenth birthday and Paw-Paw’s sixty-third birthday. We always had a special bond because we shared a birthday, but I feared this would be our last to spend together. I spent the whole day praying for good news. I called Mom as soon as school was over, but she said that we would discuss it when she got home. I had to wait two extremely long hours before she walked through the door. My dad, mom, brother, sister and I all sat down at the kitchen table. We learned that he had stage four pancreatic cancer, and there was no cure. I heard with my own ears exactly what my mind had imagined in my worst nightmares. My world stopped spinning while I tried to digest the situation.

I thought it was terrible timing because not only it was our birthday, but we also had church that night. I dreaded it because I knew it would be hard for me to hold it together. I remained silent, trying to hide my emotions, for most of the night. The words of every song meant something to me that night, and it got harder to keep the emotions in. At the end of the service, the news was announced followed by prayer. At the close of the prayer, I opened my eyes to notice that I was not the only one fighting back tears. So many people were heartbroken and waiting to comfort us. I realized that my church family would be a source of strength for me and my family. From that night on, the worst journey of my life began to unfold.

In the beginning, things were not so bad. He was still able to attend church and family gatherings. Christmas came only twenty-four days after the diagnosis, and it was a bittersweet day. We relished the time we all had together, but also feared he would not be here for the next. He kept assuring us that he would fight through this and make it. I tried and desperately wanted to believe him, but the reality of the situation was always in the back of my mind. My family had always been close to my grandparents, but this brought us even closer. My brother went to their house every day after his classes to help out, and my sister and I went there many days after school. My parents often met us there after work, and we would make dinner for everyone. We did whatever we could to help out and spend as much time with him as possible.

On the day after Christmas, we left for a family trip to Gatlinburg. He had always wanted us to go together so we made it happen at the last minute. This was when I first noticed a change. He was always tired and did not feel like doing much. I remember peeking around the corner of his room at home many times to make sure he was ok, because he stayed in bed most of the time. It was the first time in my life that I had to watch someone’s health deteriorate right in front of my eyes. He had doctor appointments every week and was in and out of the hospital numerous times. I spent so much time there that I felt like it was another home. Waiting rooms became living rooms to us. The doctors would only give him little hope, and he would prove them wrong. Every time he had a scan, he received good results. Every time, the doctors said that the cancer was shrinking. I thought that was great; I thought there might be hope. After every episode, he seemed to bounce back, but the disease eventually took its toll. He came home from the hospital on a Thursday afternoon, and the doctors said he would live maybe two weeks. However, when he got home, it was obvious that he was going down fast. I rushed over to his house after school, and I knew it was almost over. Late that night his journey ended; he only lived six months after the diagnosis.

Throughout the bad times, I learned a few priceless lessons. I learned to keep my family close, because they are most important next to God. I also learned to put others ahead of myself. There is always someone somewhere who has it worse than I do. The most memorable thing I learned was unconditional love. No matter what happened or how bad it got, my Nana never left Papaw’s side. After his health worsened, he could not do most things on his own, yet she stood by him. She never once complained or questioned God’s plan. She never let him stay alone overnight at the hospital, and we had to force her to come home a few times during the days to rest. She did absolutely whatever was possible to make him comfortable, even if it was not easy for her.

On November 26, 2010, the word “cancer” smacked me in the face and gave me a reality check. It was the first time I had ever heard that word associated with anyone in my family, and it was definitely unexpected. I never knew one day could change my life forever. Sometimes these unexpected moments are the ones that stick with us forever. We can choose to let it haunt us forever, or learn from it and try to move on. I will never forget this horrible experience, but I will also never forget the lessons learned.

Going through something like this allows us to truly put ourselves in others' shoes. When I hear of someone having cancer, I stop in my tracks and pray for them and their families because I understand. I understand the pain and grief it causes. I understand the need for others to pray for you. I just understand, and it makes me thankful for everything I have. My hope is that someday we will have access to a cure for this horrible disease. But until then I will pray for those affected, and be grateful that my Papaw is in a better place no longer suffering in this world.