In amongst the devastation and chaos that is cancer, one mother-daughter duo are finding strength and comfort in each other.
After their dual diagnosis, daughter Kelly Epps penned a truly heart-warming message to her mum, thanking her for being a source of light and courage throughout her own battle.
“Last fall I started chemotherapy. Losing my hair felt like I was losing a part of who I was,” the Nebraskan woman wrote on the Love What Matters Facebook page.
“I have struggled with feeling ‘pretty’ since then,” she went on. “It didn’t matter how much make up I put on or how cute I dressed. I felt bare and not myself.
“As if going through chemo isn’t enough of a physical struggle, the emotional struggle trumps that many days. Looking in the mirror and seeing what chemo has done to my body can be brutal. A constant reminder of the struggle you are enduring.”
But as Kelly continues, she explains how her perspective of what she thought was beauty has since changed, and it’s all thanks to her mother who also lost her tresses after undergoing a stem cell transplant.
“All I see when I look at her is beauty and strength. My, how perspective changes when you are looking at someone you love dearly as opposed to looking at that same thing in yourself.
“My mum radiates beauty. My mum radiates strength. How can I now look at myself any differently than I look at her?”
Kelly says that having her mother right there by her side has been a blessing. “We give each other strength every single day. We fight some of the same battles and have someone to talk to who gets it.”
Yep. There’s nothing these two can’t take on. “Rough days can be made better with a single phone call to my mom. We are so blessed. And strong. And beautiful. Yes, I can say that now. We are bald AND beautiful.”
With over 12,000 likes, it’s clear to see Kelly’s message has touched the hearts of many around the world.
