I'm a nursing student in my final year and currently completing my training at the Royal Menbourne Hospital's Oncology ward, which you visited today (30th November, 2009). I just wanted to send you this email to let you know how inspired I am by your story. Although I have never suffered from cancer, I feel extremley stongly about raising awareness and money for cancer research. When my best friend and I graduated from High School 5 years ago we began holding an annual fundraiser for the National Breast Cancer Foundation. We were inspired by countless stories that we'd heard about people's unexpected experiences with cancer, including yours, and as a result decided that we wanted to contribute to the progress of cancer research and treatment in some way or form. Although our annual function is small compared to many fundraisers, we have managed to raise over $20,000 and it is expereicnes such as today when you visited the oncology ward that inspire and motivate me to do even more!
I just wanted to let you know that your presence today really lifted the spirits of the ward, staff and patients, especially Tereza who you spoke with today. No one has stopped talking about it!
I found you incredibly inspirational, and i'm so humbled by the fact that you are able to invest your fame into something so valuable. I hope and pray that one day I will have even half the power you do to reach people and change their lives the way you have. Something that you said in the room with Tereza(one of the patients) today really moved me...you said the mind is a very powerful thing, and you spoke about how you would imagine reaching into your body, tearing out the cancer and stepping on it. I truley believe that a healthy mind is so important in combating cancer and any other chronic desease and I try really hard to promote that in my nursing care. I want to let you know that I can garauntee that your visit has saved many people just from that sentence, and I think that is one of the most powerful messages that a cancer sufferer could receive, yet probably the most ignored aspects of treatment that health professionals promote.
I would love to work with you one day with a focus on this, but in the meantime I wanted to thank you on behalf of all the patients who were so excited and moved by you.
I hope that this message finds you, and I hope you are able to understand that I am speaking to you honestly as a normal, everyday 23 year old girl...you should be so proud of yourself. Like you said you were made famous and given cancer for a reason and I think you are fullfilling that purpose perfectly.
Thanks so much! You are truley an inspiration and I've learned a priceless lesson from you today.
Regards,
Stephanie Totino