Gone too soon by Kaytlin

Gone too soon by Kaytlin - November 2022 Scholarship Essay

January 2022 is when the worst news struck my family. Every day people have stomach issues whether it is cramps or food just does not sit right with them. But for my Thea Kim after an extensive number of tests and having stomach pain for 3 months which she thought was a simple issue turned out to be stage four stomach cancer. My beautiful Thea Kim who was always smiling was now struggling with one of the worst sicknesses in the world. Most called her the backbone of her family, the glue that held them together and that she was. Even though she had this horrible illness and was fighting battles internally she was always smiling and staying strong for her family. My three cousins Solo, Raymond, Nitsa, and Theo Angelo. She fought a long fight for 7 months, smiling the whole way through until she went home to be with the Lord on September 25th, 2022. 51 years young married to my Theo for 28 years they built a beautiful family.

After my Thea Kim passed, I began to reflect on my time with her and the one thing that was constant throughout all my memories with her was that bright smile of hers. Before she and her family moved to Canfield, Ohio she and my cousins and uncle resided in the same town as me, Tarpon Springs, Florida. My favorite part about her living in the same town was that she worked in the cafeteria at the school I attended. She was one of the first people I saw every morning and I would walk up to her and give her the biggest hug to which I was normally greeted with “hello my Kaytlin” those hugs made my day, and I could not wait till I could have another hug at lunchtime. She was a selfless and loving person, and this showed even more when after she passed away, we found out that when she received the cancer diagnosis, they told her she had anywhere from six months to a year to live as the cancer was already in her lymph nodes. Knowing she did not have long she fought every day so that she could see her son, my cousin Raymond graduate high school, have meaningful conversations with those she loved and cherished and make the most of the memories she had left.

She has been my source of inspiration throughout this school year and will continue to be throughout the rest of my life because she fought so hard when she was here and now that she is gone, remembering her life I see how strong she was. She reminds me to smile no matter what, keep going even when things get hard, and always be a person that is known for doing good. Although she is an amazing inspiration it is a surprise for me because 2 years ago, I would have never thought she would not be here with us.