An Unconvential Teacher by Taylor

An Unconvential Teacher by Taylor - July 2016 Scholarship Essay

Dave Pelzer, the notorious author of A Child Called “It”, once said “You can be a victim of cancer, or a survivor of cancer. It's a mindset”, but how is that even possible? I had seen cancer tear families apart and break people down to the bone, how could a state of mind make a difference? Yet, working on the fifth floor of Sugar Land Methodist Hospital I found a unorthodox teacher and family that changed my feelings on terminal illnesses for a lifetime. Henry Jones, was a jolly old Vietnam War veteran with a bright grin and never ending sense of humor. A man that when he looked at you made you feel like he didn’t care about anything else in the world. Mr. Jones always had a story to tell and never ceased to make anyone who knew him smile. Mr. Jones’ wife was very kind as well, always keeping up with her husband’s jokes, and never seeming to worry about anything. The Jones’ family was a happy one and often had grandchildren up to visit, who were just as bright and joyful as they were, yet life wasn’t too good to them.
At the age of 72, Henry Jones had been diagnosed with terminal bone cancer, a single tumor which had started in his femur had metastasized into tumors throughout his body. What started out as a rather routine prognosis had led to multiple treatments of radiation therapy including chemotherapy. Rounds of draining medication to prolong his final days was all the hospital had to offer, yet with all this being known his family and most importantly his wife, stayed strong. The Jones never faltered from their endless jokes and laughter, they continued to bring light to other patients and hospital volunteers including myself. The family showed me what it was like to have hope in a hopeless situation,and their unshakeable faith carried them through their last days with Henry Jones. Mr. Jones passed away peacefully on June 20, 2014, with his wife curled up beside him and a smile on his face.
The next morning I passed Mrs. Jones in the hallway, she was sad but not broken, I gave her my condolences and asked her how she was coping so well. She responded with “Henry never lost faith in anyone, to his very last breath he held on. So in return my family and I returned the faith he had so graciously never lost in us”. With those words she left me, and she walked into an elevator and I never saw her again. A family full of light in a dark time taught me the most important lesson in life, how to survive death through a mindset built entirely on faith.