My grandmother was actually my step-grandma, but she had known me almost my entire life, and loved me like her real grandchildren. My stepdad is a soldier and the day we told her we were moving here, to Germany, she was devastated. (My dad is the 2nd of 4 boys) Shortly before we had found out she had cancer, and my dad offered to call the DoD and have them rewrite his orders to stay in KS. She refused to let us. My seventh grade year ended on Friday, May 26, 2006. The following Monday (May 29, Memorial Day) I spent the day with friends. I had the strangest urge to call grandma, but decided to wait until I got home, after all, it was the first official day of summer break, and my last summer there. When I went home to see if I could stay at a friend's my stepdad was really mad and my mother was crying. I thought it was something I had done (at the time I was cutting) but my mom made my friend leave and took me to my room. She looked at me and told me that my grandma had died, she had a heart attack, and that I needed to pack to go to Wichita. Crying, screaming, and throwing half the stuff in my room, I packed and we were off to my cousins'. After everything my family had done we discovered that my grandmother hadn't been going to her appointments. Just imagine, the doctor's may have been able to detect the problems with her heart. Maybe my grandma would still be alive today if she had gone to the doctor.
So, PLEASE, if you have cancer, go to the doctor's appointments. You don't know how much they can help. Never give up on yourself, your family never will.
I miss you, Grammie, and I will never forget you!
Leah Griggs
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