“Cancer Never Had Me” is an empowering poem by Emily R. about her fight with leukemia. She couldn’t believe that she had cancer- she didn’t want to believe it. She tried to find other excuses for her weaknesses, but had to accept that she was a cancer patient. She regretted the mean things she’d done or said to her family and friends. She literally fought for her life because she wasn't ready to lose it. It is a story of determination and believing in yourself to fight for something, in this case, your life.

I think the author is genuine and very matter-of-fact. This was probably a humbling experience and a triumph for her. She most likely has a new found love for life, finding joy in all the littlest things. I can relate to this story because one of the kids that I baby-sit named Samantha is 10 years-old. She had been fighting cancer since she was five, and was only recently able to fight it off. She had to go through the chemo, loss of hair, IV’s, and struggled through it all to be a survivor. Like the author, it was her blood- her weak, 5-year-old blood- under the microscope. I heard this story after her cancer was conquered, and I felt like it was happening to her at that moment. I couldn’t believe that such a sweet, innocent girl could be burdened with such a malignant disease. The tears welled in my eyes and I didn’t want to believe it, but it did happen. She struggled past the treatments and broke through, now a strong, full-of-life, mature 10-year-old.

Ms. Emily Ransom’s “ Cancer Never Had Me” is a poem about determination and never giving up on yourself. She has pulled through with the support and love of her family, and has lived to tell the tale. She had cancer. Cancer never had her.