FInding Compassion

Finding Compassion

Today's world often seems absent human compassion. The media inundates us daily with tragic stories of cruelty, abuse, and death. There are wonderful stories of compassion in our midst, though. The following is a story of caring and compassion among some of the world's most incredibly ill people, searching for hope and miracles.

Anna is my dearest friend in the entire world. She and I became close friends years ago when we both received our cancer diagnoses. We have tried to live each day fully and with hope for the future. Anna is now dying.

Anna was diagnosed with ovarian cancer several years ago. In the years following her diagnosis she has had major surgery and three long regimes of chemotherapy. In the initial regime, Anna lost her hair. The following regimes left her with agonizing mouth sores and painful peeling skin.
Anna chose to stop her chemotherapy last December. The side-effects from the drugs were intolerable and her monthly blood tests showed no sign of cancer remaining. She had also begun to feel continually dizzy with a marked decrease in her ability to balance and walk.

Anna continued to loose control over her hands and legs in the following months and I became frightened, even terrified. I began my campaign to convince Anna to travel with me to the Mayo Hospital in Scottsdale, AZ, my home away from home for my own cancer treatment. By mid-May, now in a wheelchair, Anna contacted Mayo and made her first appointment for the following week.

One week later, Anna and I found ourselves on the road to Arizona in my Subaru, our suitcases and her wheelchair stuffed in tightly. Anna and I did not need music or entertainment on our long journey. We talked continuously, sharing our life stories and our hopes and dreams. We also talked about our fears and our faith.

I stayed with Anna for three weeks in Scottsdale, perhaps the most remarkable three weeks of my life. It was there at Mayo, surrounded by great illness, that we experienced the true beauty of life.