Teen Is Thankful for Life Lessons
Even though treatment was difficult at times, Maddy has many happy memories.
Maddy Friesen, 17, is nearing the end of her treatment for acute lymphoblastic leukemia.
At times she thought her treatment would last forever. The side effects were awful.
Nausea. Vomiting. Pain. Fevers. Pancreatitis.
While she wouldn’t wish the experience on anyone, Maddy is thankful. The last 2 years have brought happy memories and a new perspective on life.
“It’s a crazy feeling being able to look back on everything now,” Maddy says. “When I was in the middle of it, I wondered if I would ever get back anywhere close to the person I was before. When I was going through the hard times I wondered if it would ever end.”
At one point, Maddy texted her mom about the things she missed. Spending time with her dogs. Going on walks. Picking flowers. Sleeping late. Little things — until you can’t do them.
The text gave Maddy the idea for a poem. She named it “Grateful.”
She is grateful for what she has learned.
“Having cancer makes you realize what’s important in life,” Maddy says.
The young poet hopes her words will help others.
“There are hard times, but it’s not going to be like that forever,” she says. “Keep doing what you love. That really helps. It can distract you from what you’re going through.”
grateful, by Maddy Friesen
sleeping in my own bed,
dreams swirling through my head.
stepping in green grass
and seeing flowers;
enjoying them for what seems like hours.
petting eleanor, my dog,
as she frolics around the lawn.
waking up at the crack of dawn
only to fall back into blissful sleep,
so unlike the hospital mornings;
where there is heard a noisy beep.
nurses rushing in and out,
busy with their tasks
makes me want to shout:
“get out, get out.”
they are doing their jobs,
which i’m thankful for;
but couldn’t they wait another hour?
although it’s not an ideal space,
i’m glad i go to such a place
where they care about every face.
Maddy loves spending time with her golden retriever, Milo (left), and her Dalmatian, Eleanor (right). She also has a Chesapeake Bay retriever named Maggie.
Editor's note
Maddie’s poem was written as part of the ChronCan (Chronicling Cancer) study at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. The study aims to understand the impact of creative writing on childhood cancer patients. This blog post is part of a series featuring stories written by patients enrolled in the study.
