The Story
Meghan and I met three Years ago while teaching English in Seoul, South Korea. We quickly fell in love and after her diagnosis, moved back to our respective homes. Hers in Petrolia, Ontario and mine in Washington DC. She underwent a d mastectomy, chemotherapy and then radiation, throughout which I would travel up to Ontario as often as possible to see her. Last summer, just before she finished her final radiation I decided to move to Detroit, Michigan to be as close as possible.
While the treatment tired her out, she spent a lot of energy trying to move forward with her life. As long as I’ve known her she was a list maker. She constantly revised and revamped her list of goals to accomplish in her life. She knew she wanted to go back to school to become a nurse because that would enable her to help people daily.
By December of last year she was enrolled in a nursing pre-req program, volunteering in the radiation department of a local hospital and working part time at a clothing store. That’s a very, very, very small portion of the goals she was rapidly checking off. Meghan was unstoppable.
This past January Meghan was re-diagnosed with brain metastasis which are incurable. By February the cancer had spread to her hips, liver, lungs, lymph nodes and shoulder. Meghan did not ever give up. She continued to knock off goals. She went to a city she’d wanted to revisit since childhood, the symphony, continued to read books and learn. We were married on March 28th of this year, in a beautifully intimate ceremony at her home with only immediate family present. Meghan continued to plan for the future and for me. She pushed me constantly to do things I hadn’t yet, to make something of myself. Meghan passed away on April 27th, 2010, a week to the day of my birthday and one day short of our month anniversary.
Because of Meghan and for Meghan I am finishing her list of goals. The big and long list. Meghan was completely selfless and always wanted to help. The sole purpose of her blog was to have a very detailed and honest account of cancer treatment. She wanted people in similar situations to be able to find the help, information and inspiration they needed to carry on.
I want everyone to be sure that my underlying purpose through all of this is to complete what Meghan couldn’t and to do so with her spirit of giving. Her blog kept a detailed description of the physical and emotional struggles that come with living a life with cancer. We started a Facebook page to allow friends and family, along with anyone else who she might have inspired, to follow her along this journey. The page For The Love of Meghan has picked up nearly 1,400 followers and we are hoping to increase it exponentially. I would like to get her story and her message of love and her inspiration to live life to it’s fullest, helping yourself by helping those around you.
