Biggest Challenge Essay Contest
Second Place		A Silent Killer by Stacy Nowak Gallaudet University Washington, DC

	Stacy Nowak

Life was grand, in every sense of the word. I graduated from high school at 17, and would enter college in fall. The world was at my fingertips.

A few days after I had time to savor everything, mom sat me down and told me news that would destroy my bliss. She had breast cancer. Luckily they had caught it in time. She would have to undergo surgery, and then chemotherapy.

I couldn't believe it. I had always heard about cancer, but it had never come so close. And every time I heard about cancer, I felt like the underlying tone was death.

When we talked about it, mom emphasized that they had caught the cancer in time. She would not die. She told me and my sister she would undergo chemotherapy and do everything possible to prevent the cancer from spreading.

I tried to believe her. My mom couldn't die. She just couldn't. It was rare that she became sick, and when she did, she never stayed in bed. Growing up, she was always my tower of strength. I wanted her to be around forever to spoil my kids, when I had them.

So my biggest challenge began—to support my mom through the whole thing, and to believe that we could kill the cancer and prevent it from coming back.

My mom was never one for sympathy, that much I knew. I was supposed to spend the summer in California. Now I wanted to stay home, help her through surgery and recovery, but she refused to let me change my plans.

Following mom's wishes, I left home for California, but I couldn't stop thinking about her. We kept in touch every day through e-mails. When mom entered the hospital, dad e-mailed me two or three times a day. She went through surgery successfully.

After a few more weeks, I decided to return home. Guess who picked me up at the airport? Yes, it was mom. I kept expecting to see a frail, weak woman, but mom was exactly the same as I had left her. I was kind of puzzled, but it was a load off my shoulders. Mom began her chemotherapy after we picked up my sister from camp.

It helped a lot that we were all together when mom began chemotherapy. Losing her hair was probably the worst part, but to us, she seemed normal. We helped her shave her hair off when it started to fall out. We even thought she looked beautiful with her hair shorn.

It was then that we realized the most important thing in life is family. It was an enormous challenge for me, because mom and dad were always there for me, and I had always taken it for granted. Mom's cancer made me realize that I cherished my family more than anything else.

Today the cancer is gone, and I am more aware of the dangers that come with such a silent killer. Mom is back to normal, nagging me about my dirty clothes and telling me to stand up straight.

To be honest, I'm glad she's able to do that.