OPEN LETTER TO TAYLOR SWIFT #taylorswift
Dear Taylor,
I’m writing to you with the high hopes that this letter will somehow reach your kind soul.
My name is Dominique, I’m 19 years old and a cancer survivor. In a nutshell, I’m a dance lover, a true love believer, and a positive thinker. I was diagnosed with a rare form of childhood cancer called ‘sarcoma’ in my leg almost a decade ago, aged 10. Like most cases, I underwent intense chemotherapy for nine months, lost my hair, stopped practicing gymnastics and ballet, and basically moved into a children’s cancer ward back in my beautiful home country, Switzerland.
Today, 9 years later, I’m writing to you from my favourite coffee shop on Orchard Road in Singapore. Having heard that your mother grew up here, and considering you’ve played in this amazing yet tiny country a number of times, I’m sure you can just about imagine my surroundings. Unsurprisingly, it’s raining cats and dogs! Though I have a walking stick resting next to me, and some metal rods through my leg holding my bone together, I’m lucky to say that I am cancer-free.
In being a childhood cancer survivor, I feel the need to represent all other sarcoma kids, both angels and those who’re currently struggling for their lives, which is why my friend and I started a campaign called Crutch4Sarcoma. Most of the world isn’t even aware of the battle they’re fighting. For your information, this type of cancer has a dismal survival rate of 50%. Why and how is this even possible in our day and age? Well, it’s due to a lack of knowledge, a lack of research towards sarcoma. This is the main reason why us cancer kids see life in such a different and beautiful way. We see life in such a unique perspective. We’re here. We don’t know how long for. But right now, in this instant, we’re here. We’re part of the hustle and bustle of life. We see and we appreciate every single day, every sunrise and every sunset. We are the luckiest people on the planet.
I recently went to visit children at one of the main hospitals here in Singapore. Being part of a cancer foundation has allowed me to meet other people like me, people who have made it through the storm stronger. We arrived in this bright room, where six beautiful and strong children were waiting for us. Some were in wheelchairs, some were wearing scarves over their small bald heads, and every single one of them had a spark in their eye; the will to live.
I’m writing to you because you’re coming to Singapore on November 7th. Though I’m sure you are one of the busiest bees in the world, I want to invite you to come and meet the children that have inspired so many. I can just imagine how big their smiles would be if they were to meet you. Whether they live another month, another year, another decade, you’ll have been a glimpse of light during one of the darkest times of their lives. And for that, their families, as well as I, would be eternally grateful.
I’m keeping all my fingers and toes crossed that this invitation gets to you,
Lots of love,
Dominique x
via Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dominique.schell.7
