“I think one of the main reasons I was able to deal with everything going on was because of my mom and my dad, Bill. Whenever I would get upset about having to miss school (I was in college when I was diagnosed) or life in general, he was always there for me. I think when you are young and faced with serious medical issues, it is so hard to see a light at the end of the tunnel. It sounds cliché, but you sometimes feel alive without getting the opportunity to truly live. With my dad, I never felt that way. He has a great sense of humor and I think it rubbed off on me and really helped through treatment. There was one distinct moment I remember being really sick following a treatment and I was really scared. My dad was so calm and understanding and it immediately calmed my nerves. I know it was tough on my dad to see me so sick, but he never let me see that. He kept calm and really was my rock. I cannot thank him and my mom enough for all they’ve done for me over the past three years.” – Mary Hassan, Hodgkins lymphoma survivor
Mary Hassan
