The battle against cancer
Depression is a condition of the mind, where the person feels low, is constantly negative, hopeless, and basically, loses interest in life. Such people feel alone, afraid, or trapped, but seem very normal on the outside. They feel a vacuum in their lives that nothing or no one seems to fill. Some even hit such a low point, that they don't see a point in living and start getting suicidal thoughts.
In today’s world, where depression has become more and more common, right from teens to adults, here is the journey of a teenager, who lived as a hero of faith in our times and stood strong throughout her cancer journey, in spite of losing her leg.
Catherine Selvinson was no ordinary teenager. She fought a tough and very rare high-grade bone cancer for three years. During the aggressive treatment, her left leg had to be amputated. She was declared cancer-free after five major surgeries and eight high-dosage chemo cycles. Unfortunately, the cancer recurred after nine months. She had to undergo another eight cycles of chemotherapy and more surgeries. After all possible medical treatments failed, she breathed her last on 26th February, 2020, fighting bravely till the very end. With all the pain of cancer engulfing her and even after losing her leg, she never went into depression.
Here are a few pointers from Catherine's life, which we can apply in our own lives -
1. In the midst of eight major surgeries, amputation of her left leg and multiple chemo sessions, Catherine never gave up hope. She endured intense pain and suffering, but not once did she give way to depression. She stayed positive and held on to hope till her very last breath.
2. Catherine always kept her smile on. She learnt to see the rainbow in every storm and not only did she herself maintain a positive outlook on life in spite of her difficulties, she also encouraged others around her with her charming smile and radiant character. Even when she came out of surgeries and someone would ask her how she was doing, she would reply with a smile that she was doing fine and go one step further and ask how the person was doing. Such was Catherine.
3. True to the verse in 2nd Corinthians which says, “God's grace is sufficient for you, for God's power is made perfect in your weakness”, Catherine always drew her strength from God, be it physical or emotional down times. She always strengthened herself by trusting her Creator and loving father Jesus. She never complained, never grumbled, never questioned, but faced her tough times bravely, because she was counting on God's strength and not on her own.
4. Hope is the thought that keeps us going and says yes, tomorrow will be a better day. Catherine never lost that hope. Even after losing her leg to cancer as a teenager, she did not let it stop her from living her life to the fullest. She pressed on with determination to achieve with her prosthetic leg what she would have with two normal ones. She fought till the very end having her hope firmly fixed in the eternal, and not on the temporary things of life which soon pass away.
5. Catherine displayed through her life how to rise up after every fall. She never let her situations, sufferings or sickness bog her down. Despite her inability to attend regular classes due to treatment, she still topped her 10th board exams due to her determination and hard work. She displayed resilience in every aspect of life.
6. Catherine knew very well that God holds the blueprint of our lives in His hands. She loved solving jigsaw puzzles and always felt that, just like each piece of a huge puzzle doesn't make sense in the beginning, isolated events in our lives might seem un-understandable. But we can trust that God has a plan and a purpose behind everything and He is working to bring the big picture together, even when we don't understand.
7. Throughout her Instagram posts and even while talking to her, one thing really stood out, and that was her gratefulness to God. Catherine was grateful. Always. Just like Philippians 4 says, “I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances”, Catherine beautifully lived this verse out literally. Even before her amputation surgery, Catherine did not feel regret. She said that she was thankful to God for giving her two legs for the past 15 years. She kept her focus always on the things she was blessed with, rather than the things she had lost.
8. Catherine enjoyed every second of life and also encouraged other young people to do so. Because this life that we are living each day, it was bought with a price. She realized that Jesus underwent a much greater suffering than her, taking up all our sickness, disease, sin, hurt, depression and loneliness on the Cross. He died for us, but also rose again from the dead on the third day, so that each day He can be with us as a constant companion. Catherine. Valued. Life. She refused to waste such a beautiful life even for a second.
9. As a teenager, Catherine had lost her leg to cancer. Even after such a major loss at a crucial age, where social media influences and peer pressures dominate, Catherine never compared her life to others and let bitterness be rooted in her. She never stopped being kind or loving or compassionate to others. She radiated with love, God's love. Her body was suffering, but her soul had that eternal sparkle and her spirit was always in sync with her Creator.
10. We never know who is facing what battle. Most people fight their battles alone and in silence. Depression, loneliness, suicidal thoughts, these are just some of the common battles teenagers or young people might be facing, without the knowledge of others around them. In such a world, Catherine rose up to the occasion astonishingly, not minding her own battles, but with the heart to reach out to the ones who were hurting. She always quoted James 4:6, which says, “But He gives more grace”. She encouraged, motivated, and offered hope in a hurting world and said, “If you've got a problem, God has grace which is much bigger than that”.
To put in a nutshell, Catherine’s unshakeable faith in Jesus, her consistent close-walk with the Lord, and her constant drawing of strength from the Bible, and being surrounded by people who loved, cherished and supported her, especially her family, helped Catherine withstand every storm and emerge victorious. Catherine and Jesus were indeed an unbeatable combo. Let us also strive to run the race like Catherine Selvinson did, with Jesus by her side every step of the way.
As we see above, this is exactly the way Catherine Selvinson never succumbed to depression, and fought cancer boldly till her very last breath. As Billy Graham once said, "I shall be more alive than I am now. I will just have changed my address. I will have gone into the presence of God", Catherine now lives happily in God's presence, rejoicing with the angels, and dancing joyfully in heaven's glory.