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Never Have I

a St. Jude patient

Never have I been my diagnosis,
Strong and sure I have always been.
My doctors told me I am ferocious.
Never have I been my diagnosis.
Never have I felt hopeless.
Always, yes, always will I win.
Never have I been my diagnosis,
Strong and sure have I always been.

 

This poem is one of 30 written by St. Jude patient Deidra Abbott as part of her college’s senior seminar. The collection of poetry chronicles Deidra’s experiences as a survivor of mesenchymal chondrosarcoma, an extremely rare cancer of the cartilage. After graduation in December of 2014, Deidra intends to pursue a writing career. Read some of the other poems in the collection.

Abridged from Promise, Autumn 2014

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