Tiene nueve años y muestra las cicatrices que le dejó el cáncer

Claire Russel tiene nueve años. En agosto pasado anunció que ya estaba libre de cáncer, luego de que a los cuatro años le diagnosticaran sarcoma de Erwing, enfermedad que afecta los huesos y los tejidos blandos. Debió someterse a quimioterapia y numerosas cirugías.

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It is HOT ☀️ and BRIGHT 😎 out, and we are HAPPY! 😆 To double the good news, this little lady will be performing at @curefest this year, who’s going?! #curechildhoodcancer #cancerfree #childhoodcancersurvivor #sheisfierce #ewingssarcoma

Una publicación compartida por Claire Rose (@prayersforclaire) el 8 de Ago de 2018 a las 12:25 PDT

Su salud se vio afectada durante mucho tiempo, pero ahora celebra la vida. La sonrisa se dibuja en su rostro cada mañana y se hizo fuerte a pesar de las cicatrices que le quedaron en su cuerpo.

Su historia se volvió viral cuando un nene le pidió que dejara de mostrar las heridas en su espalda porque “daban miedo”. “Creo que le rompió el corazón porque siempre consideró sus cicatrices como un reflejo de coraje y nunca nadie se había referido a ellas de forma negativa”, indicó la mamá a la revista Health.

 + MIRÁ MÁS: Cinco nenas superaron el cáncer y celebran la vida gracias al amor y la amistad

La pequeña se enojó, se sintió frustrada y no dejaba de llorar. Su mamá la ayudó a reflexionar y hoy es un ejemplo para aquellos otros niños que atraviesan por la misma situación. “Quiero que pienses en todas las nenas como vos que conociste, que están luchando contra el cáncer y que tendrán las mimas marcar”, le explicó a Claire, quien finalmente entendió y ya no avergüenza en mostrarlas.

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(Continued from previous post) You should be so proud of what you overcame. “ “I just want to be normal,” she sobbed. “I want you to think about all the little girls like you that you have met, who are fighting cancer like you did, who will have scars like you...do you want them to cover them up? Hide them?” “No!!” She exclaimed, wiping away her tears. “I don’t want them to be sad.” “Did you know that by being proud of your scars, you’re inspiring them to be proud of theirs too?” That did it. A small smile. She reached over and grabbed the shirt, and walked out of the room. A little taller, in my eyes. A few mornings later, I woke up with an idea. I text my best friend, who happens to be an amazingly talented photographer, and told her of my idea. Let’s show Claire, and the world, that being beautiful isn’t about hair, makeup, or clothes. Beauty isn’t perfection. Real beauty, is...raw. Real beauty is a little girl who experienced unthinkable physical and emotional trauma, and came out the other side...stronger, and with a deep appreciation of the fragility that is this life. A little body that was once physically battered by surgeries and chemo, and now dances gracefully. That’s beauty. Her little body may be scarred, but it tells a story of perseverance and hope. I wish no child, or adult, would ever feel the need to cover their scars. If they do, I hope they remember that by not covering them, they are inspiring an 8 year old girl, to embrace her little body that beat cancer. Let’s teach our kids that imperfection, is beauty. That bravery, is beauty. That compassion, is beauty. September is childhood cancer awareness month 🎗 Photos by @dionnekrausphotography #realbeauty #childhoodcancer #gogold #childhoodcancerawareness #morethan4 #scarsarebeautiful #sheisfierce #stronggirls #ewingssarcoma #cancerfree

Una publicación compartida por Claire Rose (@prayersforclaire) el 1 de Sep de 2018 a las 11:25 PDT

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My daughter was diagnosed with cancer at four years old. Four. Years. Old. Bone cancer, Ewings Sarcoma. She didn’t know how to ride a bike, had never stepped into a classroom, and spent most of her days in a tutu. In the next year, she would endure more pain and suffering than most adults see in a lifetime. She would attend funerals of friends she met and loved, who were lost to the same disease she was fighting. She would lose her beautiful head of blonde curls, nearly all of her muscle mass, and her childlike innocence. Her tumor was located in the middle of her back, between two ribs, touching her spine. Treatment was brutal. Seventeen rounds of chemotherapy over the course of a year. Multiple surgeries, including the removal of four ribs, part of her spinal sheath, and a spinal fusion. Finally, she was declared in remission. I took home a frail, pale, bald, five year old, covered in scars. That was now three years ago. If you met my daughter today, this story would likely shock you. Though small for 8 years old, she is beautiful, healthy, muscular, outgoing, funny, a talented competitive dancer, and an honor roll student. She is an amazing overcomer. In many ways, she has healed. Yet, there is some healing that will never come. Every so often the realization that she is still here, while some children are not, weighs heavy on her brave heart. Then, a few weeks ago, on a rushed morning, I threw her shorts and a tank top and asked her to get dressed. She quietly asked me for a different shirt. Oblivious and in a hurry, I said “Why? You love that one, just put it on, we gotta go...” “A boy at camp...told me I shouldn’t wear shirts that show my scars. He said they are scary.” For a brief and irrational moment, I debated finding said boy and giving him some scars of his own...but quickly realized this boy likely had NO IDEA what this girl has been through. “I think what he meant, was that, the thought of what you must have gone through, to get those scars...is scary. Your scars are beautiful.” She didn’t seem convinced. Tears formed in her eyes. I sat down beside her and pulled her close. “You have an incredible story. (Continued in next post.)

Una publicación compartida por Claire Rose (@prayersforclaire) el 1 de Sep de 2018 a las 11:20 PDT

Este 4 de febrero se celebra el Día Mundial del Cáncer. Según la Organización Mundial de la Salud (OMS), el cáncer es la segunda causa de muerte en el mundo. En Argentina, se diagnostican más de 115 mil casos por año, lo que representa más de 300 por día, de acuerdo a las estadísticas del Instituto Nacional del Cáncer.