“The Savior Knows How to Help Me through Cancer,” For the Strength of Youth, Mar. 2023.
I Can Do All Things through Christ
Youth share how Christ has strengthened them to do hard things (see Philippians 4:13).
The Savior Knows How to Help Me through Cancer
My life was pretty normal until the winter of 2020. I was sick with what we thought was an infection, so I took a round of prescribed antibiotics. Later, I started feeling headachy, tired, and faint. Soon afterward I woke up around 10 p.m. thinking it was morning and started getting ready for school.
When my sister told me it was still nighttime, I ran to my parents’ room in a state of hysteria. My mom felt my head, and I had an extremely high fever. We went to the doctor the next day, who ran a bunch of tests.
That night my parents came into my room, crying. They told me I had leukemia and that we had to go to a hospital to get more answers. I was in the emergency room all night and started my chemotherapy treatment only a few days later.
My treatment will continue for another year or two, but it has gotten a little more manageable. I have been feeling a bit better recently and hope to be able to go to school again soon. It isn’t easy, though. The chemo has many side effects, including a bone condition called avascular necrosis that makes it difficult for me to walk.
In spite of it all—maybe even because of it—I have grown so much closer to my Heavenly Father. Now I have a deeper understanding of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. I used to think of His Atonement as something you needed only when you made a mistake. That’s part of it, but relying on the Savior is also something that has helped me feel less alone.
Jesus Christ has taken upon Himself all of our afflictions and sins, which means He knows exactly how to help me as I experience leukemia. Going through any trial can feel very isolating, but through Christ’s Atonement, we can take comfort in knowing that He truly understands what we’re going through.
Ruby H., Utah, USA