I purchased a Giving Key for myself after my husband was diagnosed with Lymphoma in November of 2015. My key was for Strength, which I prayed every day I would have for my husband and myself. He was diagnosed with an aggressive Lymphoma, which required intense chemotherapy (hospitalized 96 hour chemo drips every 15 days) over a four month period. The chemo side effects were horrid and we found ourselves in and out of the ER, multiple blood transfusions, and hospital admissions outside of the planned chemo visits. As a caregiver, you feel helpless and frightened. I wore my necklace daily and clung to it to provide me the strength I needed to be strong for my husband. In May of 2015, his first PT scan since chemo, found no cancer cells and he remains cancer free thus far (2/4/17). I continued to wear my key as his body healed and was planning to pass it on, but I felt I couldn't yet part with it. In November of 2016, my baby sister (53) suffered from multiple strokes, continued blood clots, and paralysis on left side; needless to say, my key necklace was back around my neck as I once again found myself looking for strength as we worked through dealing with my sister's lifestyle changes, rehab, as well as concern over her continuous back pain that was occurring prior to the strokes. In the past two weeks, the source of the pain was identified as she was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer, which has metastasized to her back and pelvis. My heart is breaking, I am searching for the strength and faith for my entire family and her 15 year old daughter. I am fortunate that I have my husband to help me stay strong, but the key around my neck is my constant as I grasp it and tell myself to stay strong. I now will be purchasing one for my niece and hope that it provides her comfort and strength she needs to stay strong for her mom and herself. For now, the key is staying around my neck as I cling to it for strength.
-Cathy
