In April 2007, my family’s life changed forever.

My mother, Lavonne Prince was diagnosed with small cell carcinoma. Her oncologist in Jackson told us that she had six weeks to six months to live.

We received this news six weeks before my wedding. We were in Brookhaven picking up my wedding dress when the doctor called with the biopsy results. I had never felt so sad and helpless. How was someone telling me that I would not have my mother in six months?

The day her oncologist gave us this prognosis and said that there was nothing she could do, we called MD Anderson. We saw a thoracic oncologist that following Monday in Houston. He gave my mother a 20 percent chance to live one year.

Because of her young age, 47, he told her that he would be very aggressive. He started chemo and radiation twice a day. They even radiated her brain before they saw it there due to the fact that she had small cell so it wouldn’t show up until it was large.

She was so sick but she told her doctors she wasn’t missing her daughter’s wedding.  She came taking handfuls of chemo pills. She could barely stand but she was there even though I told her I wanted to postpone the wedding and concentrate on her getting better.

She was the toughest person I know. I remember crying telling her she can’t leave us and if she did, I wanted to go with her. She got so mad at me for saying that. She looked at me and said I need one thing from you and that’s for you to have faith. Never speak negative and just believe.

Well, I got to thinking. All I had was my faith because the doctors were not being hopeful. So I started praying more, getting more involved in church and was baptized. I started really getting right with the Lord. If my mother was not angry with God, how could I be? She was going through so much and never lost faith.

I know that is why she lived for four years after her diagnosis.

During those four years, she was taking chemo almost constantly, radiation, had brain surgery, went through two experimental treatments, and lived for months at a time at MD Anderson.

The cancer spread to her adrenal glands, brain, bones, abdomen, and her liver. She never gave up but her body just couldn’t take anymore and our Lord and Savior was ready to take her home where she would forever be healed and no more pain and suffering.

On May 4, 2011, she went to Heaven. She was 51.

She got to see me get married, was there when I had my boys, and got to see my brother go through college. She was the best mother, wife, nana, daughter, sister, friend, mother-in-law, etc.  She and my dad had a love everyone dreams of. He never left her side.

We miss her so much and there is not a day that goes by that I don’t tell my children about their nana. She still lets me know she’s with me.

Before she passed, she said I would have a daughter and name her Mary Grace. Mary meaning mother and I would get pregnant by the grace of God. She wanted me to have a daughter and have the same relationship with her as I had with my mother and have someone to shop every Friday with like we did. She knew the boys would not enjoy shopping.

Well, 9 months ago, I had Mary Grace.

I know if my mother was here today, she would tell anyone fighting cancer to never give up and have faith.  Never lose faith.

 

-Tiffany Jamison