During this Women’s History Month, many have been honoring different women who have done brave things or made a difference. There have been so many historical women who endured or overcame some setbacks. One of those setbacks includes enduring health challenges. So to conclude this month of March, I decided to take some time to highlight four different women who have certainly done this.
A Woman Who is an Advocate for Her Illness
The first woman I would like to highlight is one who was diagnosed with an autoimmune condition at a young age. Despite the challenges of managing her condition and its debilitating effects, she refused to let it define her. When some people become diagnosed with a devastating illness, they become so depressed over it that they allow it to crush their spirit. But not this woman. When she learned of her diagnosis, she took action to seek medical care, adjust her lifestyle, and remain positive. She also has become an advocate for her condition by spreading awareness to others.
A Woman Who is a Mentor to Others
This next fearless woman that I just got through reading about is a breast cancer patient who also helps mentor medical students in Georgia. When she was diagnosed with breast cancer during the COVID-19 pandemic, it was devastating. But she just held her head up high and continued to stay busy. Besides being a wife and mom to three children, she is also a mentor to medical students at the Medical College of Georgia. She admitted things were all over the place in her household during the lockdown. But once she took the time to pause and reevaluate things, she and her husband were able to still get their house in order.
A Woman Who Keeps on Going Despite Rare Condition
Usher’s syndrome is a rare condition that causes people to develop progressive vision and hearing loss. This Brazilian woman suffers from this condition. Already born deaf, she began losing her eyesight at age 30. However, she didn’t allow all of this to stop her from living.
She started studying the bible with Jehovah’s Witnesses in 1977 and soon got baptized. She began using tactile sign language to communicate and to talk to deaf people about God and the Bible. Despite being now completely blind and older, I appreciate the fact that she continues to remain very industrious by cooking and cleaning for herself. She cares about helping people and is a good example of selflessness.
A Young Girl Who Refuses to Allow a Condition to Stop Her
This last young lady is another good example of not allowing a medical condition to stop you from living. She is diagnosed with motor-neuromuscular disorder. This condition prevents her brain from correctly passing information to her body. She goes on to say that different parts of her body will sometimes tremble or become paralyzed. Admittedly, it’s been tough living with this condition because it limits her. She’s not able to read, write, move, and perform other basic tasks normally.
But despite her limitations, she also continues to live her life trying to serve Jehovah. When times get rough for her, the elders in her congregation usually pray with her. She usually feels calmer when they do this. However, the most important that she relies on to help her manage her condition is Jehovah. She feels her heavenly Father is always there to sustain her.
These four women have gone through a lot coping with their own physical ailments. However, each of them didn’t allow their limitations to cause them to feel down and stop living. No matter what you’re personally going through physically or emotionally, you could learn something from these women in enduring your health challenges.
Are you a woman enduring a health challenge? Perhaps you may know a woman who’s striving to do the same thing. Feel free to share your or that woman’s story in the comments section below. As always, be sure to like or share this post with the next brave woman you know.
