Joy's Writing Team - April 23 Drop

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Write to Joy.

Age: 60s + 70s
Requested by: Grandmother
Location: Missouri, USA
Issue: Breast Cancer

What’s going on? My grandmother, Joy, was diagnosed with breast cancer several years ago--in addition to several other illnesses including an autoimmune disease. After many rounds of chemo, the cancer was successfully eliminated--temporarily. The breast cancer returned last year, and as a result she had to undergo a total mastectomy. As a consequence of the surgery, her lymph nodes started swelling and she has been attempting treatment for them for a few months now. Since then, she has not been the same--she has lost confidence in herself and her body, and has adopted a fairly negative perspective. She is a shell of the woman I knew growing up.

What do you love most about this girl? My grandma and I have had our fair share of disagreements over the years, but that never changed how much I love her. Growing up, she was the one who cared for me while my parents were at work full-time. She is very talkative and loves cracking jokes with people. She has triumphed over so many diseases and illnesses in her life, and up until now she never let those challenges dampen her mood. Above all other qualities, my grandma is a person who cares so deeply for others--even those who she has never met before. She will happily put aside her own needs if it means she can better care for others. She's done more than enough for my mom, myself, and my grandpa when each of us were dealing with our own hardships. Unfortunately, she has lost many of her friends to illness and cannot drive very well on her own anymore. Thus, she has been extremely lonely these last couple of years, aside from her beloved cats and her busy family members (when we can make the time to see her).

Write your letter and get it in the mail within one week to The Letter Project at P.O. Box 218, Kingsville, MO 64061. We’ll take it from there! You can place multiple letters in one envelope, as long as each letter/card clearly identifies the letter recipient.