My personal story with cancer

My family first discovered my moms diagnosis earlier this year when I was 16 years old. My mom was diagnosed with Stage IV Papillary Renal Cell Carcinoma which is a form of kidney cancer. We did not discover her cancer until it was stage IV and had already spread to other parts of her body from her kidneys, into her lymph nodes. When I was first told of her diagnosis, I was frightened. The uncertainty of not knowing what was going to happen to the person that I love most was terrible. I struggled mentally for months and was constantly depressed and worried. The people close to me and my family who reached out and cared were the ones who helped us more than any medicine or treatment could. Cancer is an internal disease with the body but the challenge even greater than cancer is how you handle it emotionally. I created this website in order to have a platform where I can now help others who struggle as well. Whether the reader has cancer or if they are worried about a loved one, Kidney Cancer Connection is welcoming of all people. My moms chances of survival in the beginning were the scariest part of the entire experience. Even today, I still worry about if something may go wrong. The help that my mother received from her doctors at the Cleveland Clinic and other regional hospitals has proved to work. Her cancer has decreased in size by more than one half! Now that I have experienced the effects of the disease through my mother's battle, I want to reach out and help anybody who needs somebody to talk to. If anybody ever has any questions about her diagnosis, or even dealing with a personal experience I am always willing to comfort and help. I am looking to give the support that I received from friends and family to others who experience a similar situation. The best support anybody can receive is talking with someone who knows exactly how you feel and has went through the process themself.

- Tucker Welty <3