By John Blankenship
Kellie Massey’s quiet demeanor seems unusual for someone her age.
She is far removed from the whimsical teenage personas portrayed on MTV and in glamour magazines.
And yet, the youthful radiance that shines from her hazel eyes belies the struggles she has endured while battling cancer.
Kellie was diagnosed with leukemia at 10 months of age.
At 16, she underwent surgery to have her right ovary removed after it developed a benign tumor.
Two years later, she developed Ewing’s sarcoma, a kind of cancer that required the patient to have 12 months of chemotherapy, biopsies, bone marrows and blood transfusions.
Still, Kellie appears to be the picture of health. Her cancer is in remission. Her heart is full of life.
Kellie now talks with other cancer patients to bolster their spirits, urging them not to give up.
“I think I live for a purpose,” she says. “I enjoy helping people, and I guess that’s my reason for being here,” she commented.
The young woman’s positive attitude and enthusiasm for helping others has earned her a measure of recognition since she joined the Raleigh County Chapter of the American Cancer Society Support Group last year.
The New River Community and Technical College sophomore confers with visitors at the group’s meetings on the first Monday evening of each month at the Raleigh Regional Cancer Center in Beckley. Sessions begin at 6 p.m.
Kellie’s experience with cancer, though, enables her to offer an accurate picture of what the disease is like for any survivor and how a brush with death can amplify the joys of living.
“Cancer causes you to put things in their new perspective,” she says “Every day is special. Life is a gift from God.”
Ironically, cancer has made Kellie’s life better in a way, though she certainly isn’t glad she had it. The disease still lurks in her mind daily. But she isn’t going to let cancer control her life or get her down.
“People who suffer from cancer learn how to become better versions of themselves,” Kellie observes philosophically. “Physically, mentally and spiritually we are changed, but we are enjoying life with a new commitment.”
Why do people have to face imminent death to gain new insights about life?
That is a question that continues to baffle the Independence High School graduate.
“Cancer is an ugly wake-up call,” says Kellie. “In a manner of thinking, cancer is a kind of teacher. Perhaps bad things happen so that we can learn what’s good for us. Is it possible to learn life’s lessons without pain? I don’t think so.”
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Increasingly, many people still get cancer, despite living in an age of scientific miracles.
This year alone, an estimated 1.3 million persons will be diagnosed with cancer in the United States. According to the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, the number of cancer-related deaths may be leveling off after several years of decline. And while there’s no scientific evidence to back it up, there seems to be a common thread among cancer survivors that attitude makes a difference in the quality of life people achieve, once they’re living with cancer.
It doesn’t mean that attitude affects outcomes. To the contrary, there is no evidence that cancer is caused or affected by stress or bad moods.
But what is apparent is the message that some people cannot separate the major and minor issues of daily living.
“Surviving the trauma of cancer has a way of helping people appreciate what’s important,” Kellie offers, smiling. “It isn’t about how far you fall down but how far you bounce back. How you handle your dilemma is the answer to your question — how’s your spiritual life? The final step is acceptance and with that comes hope and quality of life.”
She adds, “What we all must learn sooner or later is that everyone’s cancer is different. What cancer patients have in common is that they all need to learn how to cope. That’s why it’s important to get support from other people. It helps to be surrounded by those who care.”
