I haven't spoken to Madeleine in over a decade. Even then, I wouldn't say we were friends. I knew of her, the same way you seemed to know of everyone in high school. Certain people stand out. They form the peripheral of your high school experience like characters in a movie. But I am sad that she has passed. She became a mom this year, and what should have been a very joyous time in her life was robbed of her by cancer.
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Madeleine Petite was her name. She faced an unimaginable horrible situation. Doctors diagnosed her with Stage 4 cancer while she was pregnant. Madeleine had lung cancer that metastasized into other parts of her body including her brain and bones. It spread rapidly in just a short time without her even knowing it.
I learned of Madeleine's situation during a dark time in my own life. My father had lung cancer at 45. He had been a chronic smoker — Madeleine had not. I also had just become a father with a newborn, and so I related immensely to what she was going through. They had just removed my dad's entire left lung to try to stop the cancer. It was a painful procedure he's still not recovered from.
Sadly, surgery was not an option for Madeleine. She spent weeks in the hospital while doctors devised treatment plans to try to combat the cancer. They ended up delivering her baby early in an attempt to save Madeleine's life. The little baby needed oxygen and a feeding tube, so small and fragile in the pictures shared online. It was heartbreaking.
Alabama Mom Maintained Faith Through Cancer
Through all of it, Madeleine stayed strong and remained steadfast as a mom. She maintained her faith and her determination to live each day to the fullest. One of her final Facebook posts read, "There will never be another day I wake up and don't thank our heavenly Father for allowing me to see it. This journey has been full of ups and downs and right now seems to be a very painful point. I am a fighter and I know I will get back on my feet. Gods plan is so much better and bigger than mine."
She continued, "I pray that everyone has a beautiful Sunday, thank the Lord for each MOMENT! Go visit, make the phone call, send the text, FORGIVE, and love as hard as you can!!!"
