My Decision to Live like Lennon
Little Girl, Big Heart
This is the story about a little girl. But not just any little girl. No, this little girl changed the face of childhood cancer. And not just in my rural community, but for thousands upon thousands of other people. This is the story of a little fighter named Lennon Kash Black. You see, I never met Lennon. But I can promise you that her sweet soul has had an impact on me and countless others.
In mid February 2020, while the rest of the world was starting to see the effects of the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19), one family in Western Kentucky was beginning their own battle with something no family should have to go through. At the heart of their family, the youngest child, a spunky little blonde four year old, was diagnosed with Stage 4 Neuroblastoma.
Those words taste sour just typing them. Not that anyone ever deserves cancer, because they don’t. But what in the world has a 4 year old done to deserve such a terrible diagnosis? The day she was admitted to Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital in Nashville, TN was the first day that I ever heard her name or saw her picture. Even in the face of such an ominous diagnosis, she still had a smile on her face.
Now stop and think about that for just a moment. If you had just been told that you were diagnosed with stage 4 cancer and it is a type that can be rather aggressive, would you still have a smile on your face? One can argue that she was only four years old and didn’t know any better. But those closest to Lennon would say that she truly knew the battle she was facing. From the first chemo treatment to the moment she took her last breath, she knew. I don’t want this to become an argument about whether God is real or not, as we all have our own beliefs. But this girl brought so many people to know God and to receive their salvation, that I can’t help but know God exists.
As a parent, Lennon has impacted me to my core. Seeing the pain and unbelievable loss that her parents are going through right now makes me count my blessings that much more. Seeing her family’s pain reminds me to hold my children that much tighter and embrace each little thing that makes them who they are. It’s easy to get swept into the day to day life of being a parent. But instead of just letting life go by as normal, I am making the decision to put forth the effort to cherish every moment I have with them each and every day.
And as a person, the tiny warrior left her mark on me as well. As her father stated in his post on the Lennon Strong Facebook Page about her passing:
“Lennon gained her angel wings… Her mission on earth is fulfilled, but not over. Be like Lennon and shine bright and always trust in the Lord and don’t take a single breath for granted. We love everyone. Like Lennon, show strength when you think you’re weak. Be the light.”
From this day forward I vow to not take my life for granted. Each day is a blessing. We owe it to ourselves to treat each day as a gift. As her father said, be the light and shine bright. From this day forward, I want to be a beacon of light for others. I am also vowing to sign up to donate blood.
As someone on the outside, we often wonder what we can do to help for cancer patients. Donating blood is something that is super simple and can truly mean life or death for the smallest of fighters.
A GoFundMe was set up to help with medical expenses when her journey first began. And even though Lennon is no longer suffering, those bills still exist. My prayer is that the generosity of others can help lighten the financial burden her parents now have after also having to bury their baby girl. Or if you want to help support childhood cancer research, I beg of you to check out St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital or Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt.
With so much darkness in the world right now, be like Lennon. Be a light that shines bright for others. Don’t take a single moment for granted. If you’ve been holding a grudge, forgive the other person, you don’t know how long either of you have left on this earth. And most importantly, be the love that you hope to receive from the rest of the world. If we each spent just a little bit of time looking for the positives and less time focusing on what’s wrong, we would all be better off.
