Meet Magdalena, our 28-year-old ambassador from Poland. Diagnosed with cancer at 18, she shares how she learned to appreciate the little things and embrace her feelings.
Introduce yourself shortly
My name is Magdalena Jaworska, I’m 28 years old and I’m from Poland. In 2013 I was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma when I was 18 years old, and I started my treatment in 2014. I found out about my disease because I was annoying my doctor about checking up on my unusually big and moving lymph nodes above the collarbone. And although I usually love to be right, I hated that this time I was also right - it was cancer. Unpleasant surprise.
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What has the cancer experience taught you?
I learned that you can not pause your life or wait out the worst part. So I take it in handfuls and try to see beauty in every moment I experience. Now it sounds easy, but for my 18-year-old self, it was the worst part of the treatment. To see positivity every day, or at least twice a week, to not give up, to keep myself up no matter what.
What helped you the most during the treatment process?
My sister's and my mom’s support. They both care for me and I will be forever thankful for it. I got that unspeakable bond with my older sister, so our humor was very often something that was keeping the atmosphere light and not so depressing. Sister bonds like ours made everything easier to bear.
What has changed in your life since your cancer diagnosis?
Meeting other cancer survivors. During my treatment, other patients my age didn't want to talk and they kept their distance. So the first time when I met any other cancer survivors was in December 2014 in Bucharest during an event for Youth Cancer Europe. Since then I learned what peer support means and how important it is in our lives beyond cancer. We know, understand, and support each other. It's a very strong relationship from the very first minutes after meeting for the first time.
