Hello. My name is Kanei Russey and I am a 26 year old mommy of three toddlers. I was not diagnosed with breast cancer but I was diagnosed and defeated cancer. I was born with Retinablastomia, a cancer that affects children from birth to age 5 that attacks the retina's or cause them to not form correctly. Doctor's kept diagnosing me with pink eye and failed to properly examine me and by the time the cancer was caught, it was in stage 4. The only options I had were: Have surgery where they would remove my eye completely or death. The doctor's explained to my family that even with the surgery, my chances of survival would be less than 37%. The surgery was a success and just to be 100% sure, I had to undergo a year of chemo-therapy. I went through my dark days to where I was being bullied very badly and that caused me to be suicidal, depressed and lonely. I was called mean things because I did not look like everyone else. I would never look in the mirror because I cringed at the monster looking back at me.
I will say that NOW, I am FINALLY comfortable in my own skin and I embrace my beauty. I realized that I had to overcome my own inner demons and accept that I was not that freak that people called me and that I am unique. I am now happy to look at myself in the mirror because I see a princess looking back at me. I want you all to know that although you may have cancer, cancer does NOT have you. Yes! Words hurt but we do NOT have to allow the things that people say to determine who we are or how we view ourselves!! To my fellow survivors: CONGRATS! To the one's that have been diagnosed: HANG IN THERE!!! The road isn't as long as it may look! To my fallen Angels: YOU DID NOT LOSE THE FIGHT AND YOU ARE HERO'S IN MY BOOK!!!!
Arkadelphia, AR
