ADVERSITY CAN come in many forms — from personal setbacks, financial struggles, loss of loved ones, and unexpected obstacles to health issues. While adversity is an inevitable part of the human experience, how we respond to it shapes our character and resilience.
Lincoln County native Megan Ashley is no stranger to adversity. As a two-time cancer survivor, Megan has endured several obstacles during her 29 years of life. However, thanks to her faith and determination, she has conquered each of them and allowed each to contribute to helping mold her into the positive and life-loving person she is today.
The obstacle of cancer
Pregnancy is one of the most joyous times in a woman’s life. The excitement of welcoming a new life along with becoming a mother is almost indescribable in the joy it holds.
It was a time of joy for Megan and her husband, Kaleob, who were expecting for the first time.
Just as Megan began her second trimester, she was diagnosed with Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma — non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma (NHL).
The American Cancer Society states that NHL is one of the most common cancers in the United States, accounting for about 4% of all cancers. Overall, the likelihood that a man will develop NHL in his lifetime is about 1 in 42, and for a woman, the risk is about 1 in 52. Many factors can affect each person’s risk.
NHL can occur at any age. It is one of the more common cancers among children, teens, and young adults. Still, the risk of developing NHL increases throughout life, and more than half of people are 65 or older when they are first diagnosed.
For Megan, this was a shock in several ways. This wasn’t her first experience with this type of cancer. At the age of 9, she was diagnosed with the same kind of cancer. After undergoing extensive treatment, it was ruled she had beaten it. Over 20 years later, she was facing the same battle again.
“We couldn’t believe it. It was a shock,” said Megan. “They couldn’t even call it a relapse since it had been so many years. My oncologist, who is one of the best, had never seen my type of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in a pregnant person. Usually, it’s breast cancer.”
Faith sets the course
Finally understanding her diagnosis, Megan said the next step was treatment and beating it. Moving forward, she would look to her faith in God as a way to help her through this difficult time.
“When we found [out] it was cancer, it was extreme shock,” she said. “I was very emotional. I was 14 weeks pregnant. But during that time, I felt this overwhelming sense of peace that came over me. I cannot explain to you the peace I had when we got the official diagnosis. I felt it was God saying, ‘Megan, I’ve got you. I have this perfect plan for you. Things are going to go smoothly. It’s going to be OK. You just have to trust me. I have a perfect plan.’’’
Megan would also have to battle through several other unknowns while going through treatment during her pregnancy. After a follow-up with her OB-GYN, a blood test revealed that her unborn child had tested positive for trisomy 18.
Also known as Edwards syndrome, it is a genetic disorder caused by the presence of a third copy of all or part of chromosome 18. Many parts of the body are affected. Babies are often born small and have heart defects. Other features include a small head, small jaw, clenched fists with overlapping fingers, and severe intellectual disability.
During this trying time, Megan’s faith continued to hold strong. After meeting with a genetics counselor and having an ultrasound, the counselor believed everything looked in good order with the baby.
“At that point, everything was looking OK with Canaan,” said Megan. “He didn’t show signs of trisomy 18 at the time, but they couldn’t rule out anything without an amniocentesis or unless he was born and they could physically see him.”
With her faith intact, Megan continued to move forward, undergoing eight rounds of chemotherapy. She said she felt her faith was integral to how she was able to get through those long, grueling months of treatment.
“I never doubted in my mind that things were going to be OK,” she said. “Now, I didn’t know what ‘OK’ meant. With the trust that I had in God and the peace that he instilled in me, I firmly believe that is how I was able to get through treatment both mentally and physically. But it could have been a thousand times worse if I had not placed my trust in God fully.”
Megan’s son, Canaan, was born at 33 weeks with 10 fingers and 10 toes, much to the joy of his parents.
“He came out like screaming and all of the things,” she said. “He did spend almost three weeks in the NICU [neonatal intensive care unit], but that’s due to his early arrival. And they wanted to make sure things were developing as they should. The folks in the NICU were great.”
Megan would undergo a few additional treatments following Canaan’s birth. The treatments were successful, and she found herself on the other side of her battle.
Moving forward
Now officially a year in remission, Megan continues to hold that same resiliency and strong sense of faith.
“I know there’s a plan. I’m just following this plan,” she said. “My outlook on life now is really being present in the moment and not worrying about tomorrow. Because worrying will keep you from enjoying what you’re doing right now.”
When sharing her amazing and faith-filled story, Megan wants others to understand that cancer is just one chapter. However, she hopes that anyone facing a challenge in life will turn to their faith and find strength in believing in a higher power.
“I have learned that I need to dig deeper with my faith and just continue to fully rely on God. I hope others cling to their faith when faced with challenges in life.” GN