Hey guys! My name is Tyra Freeman!! It’s nice to meet you all. I wanted to tell you guys my story of why I’m needing help with my bills, so here goes nothing.

I was diagnosed with leukemia at just 20 years old. Now, having just turned 20, you can imagine how scared and worried I felt sitting there being told that I had cancer. Thinking I was about to begin my life just to be told that they were rushing me to the next hospital because they couldn’t treat me here. In my eyes, I didn’t know what that meant. There I was, in pain from just having surgery alone at the moment they told me, and I had no idea what to do. I was so scared, and then I had to tell my family members who, of course, had questions I had none of the answers to. I had so many questions myself, but it was like my mind just went blank. Like a deer in the headlights, I was beyond scared; I was terrified. Terrified that my little sister would just suddenly develop it just like I did or that my mom would do the same. I had no way to calm myself down until my amazing doctor talked to me, and boy did she help a lot.

Everything was going so fast for me; the world was going 100mph. My counts were pretty high, so we had to get chemotherapy started as soon as possible. They didn’t want to risk anything. I had so many questions to answer but didn’t even know how to answer them at the time, and the world was just continuously spinning. I tried to keep it together as much as I could, so I kept a lot on the inside and didn’t really ask for help. I’m here to say now, never ever do that. Always ask for help if you need it.

I was in the hospital for over a month and a half and did booster treatments of chemotherapy once I got released from the hospital. My mom has been the main one working, and bless her heart, she’s barely keeping herself sane trying to support me, my sister, and herself. We have so many bills, and it’s so hard with just one person paying them. I see her struggling, and it just makes my heart break. I feel so helpless and mad at myself for getting cancer, but I know it’s not anyone’s fault. I just wish I could help out more. I used to be so independent, and now having to rely on her and not being able to help out just makes me want to curl up in a ball and cry sometimes. It’s so stressful at all times, and we try to hide it, but I’m tired of pretending like we don’t need help. That’s why I’m setting this up to help us out in any way; we really could use it.

I’m beyond grateful for everything everyone in that hospital did for me to help me. Every test, every scan, every blood draw was all worth it in the end for my health. I couldn’t be more grateful to be alive. Every round of chemotherapy was a fight, but a good fight. Now I’m stronger than ever; I know it for sure now. I went through the proof myself, which is something I really needed personally. Getting cancer made me so grateful for absolutely everything. I look at life so differently now and always will for the rest of my life.

I’ve got my first clear scan after all my chemotherapy treatments, and hopefully, it stays that way. I’ve got a tough five years ahead of me, but if I make it five years with my scans free of cancer, it will be a lot less likely to come back, so fingers crossed as I begin this journey into my remission as long as my last scan comes back clear. I was really nervous to get my last bone marrow biopsy because I was scared for the results, but I hope everything is great. Just waiting on the last ones to come back. I’m still nervous, but I’m not as nervous as I was, just trying to keep a level head through it all.

Thank you all for listening to my story. I hope you have a great day, and no matter what, you’re loved!!