TEXARKANA MAGAZINE
Laurie received her first eight rounds of chemotherapy at MD Anderson West Houston and completed her final eight locally at CHRISTUS St. Michael Cancer Center.
Lynnley, Ray, Laurie, and Ames Galloway.
Family and friends filled the room to celebrate her victory. “I remember walking out of my last chemotherapy session and seeing all the people who showed up for me—the kids who showed up for my kids, and the men who showed up for my husband. It healed a part of me that I didn’t know was broken. I was humbled and in awe. All of those people were there to support me and my family. It took everything in me not to fall to my knees as I cried, looking around that room. I walked to each person and hugged them. I needed them to know I saw them, I loved them, and I was beyond thankful they were there.” Usually, the story ends there. The treatment is over. The cancer is gone. The battle is won. In a movie, Laurie would drive off into the sunset. If you have been handed the miraculous gift of healing, of course, your heart overflows with gratitude. But when you face death, face-to-face, in a lockstep battle for a year, and you come out the victor on the other side, there is still trauma, still hurt, still confusion. And that’s the part that is rarely talked about. While ringing the bell marked the end of treatment, it was not the end of the war. The emotional weight of surviving a life-threatening illness lingered. True to her own advice, Laurie refused to navigate the post- treatment trauma in silence. “Strength does not mean silence. And bravery isn’t hiding your feelings.” She attended a retreat with fellow women facing the same challenges. One of the biggest blessings was a beach trip given to her and her family, where they could just be together, laughing and playing and walking the beach, appreciating the sunset. These quiet getaways healed other wounds, the ones left
on each soul. Laurie also bravely enrolled in an MD Anderson trial study designed to support the mental health of cancer survivors. Looking back over the past year, Laurie contemplates, “I have walked through fear that could have broken me. I have felt my body betray me, my mind scream in panic, my soul weighed down with doubt. But I also learned something beautiful: the same hands that carry you through suffering can lift you into joy.” Through every scar and struggle, Laurie’s faith remained her anchor. She emerged from the experience transformed—stronger, softer, and filled with deep gratitude. Laurie declares, “I am not the same person I was a year ago. I am stronger. I am braver. I am softer and fiercer all at once. I am proof that even in the chaos, God’s plan does not fail. I am proof that hope blooms in the darkest storms and that life can rise from the ashes.” Laurie’s journey is a testament to trusting your instincts, leaning on faith, and finding strength in community. “My journey with cancer wasn’t one I would have chosen, but it became a place where God met me in quiet, unexpected ways. Cancer changed my life, but it also sharpened my awareness of God’s presence in every moment. My hope is that as I share my story, others will feel encouraged to trust the quiet voices in their hearts, to know deeply that God is always walking beside you, and to remember that your life, right now, is still full of beauty and purpose.” “‘Are ya gonna make it?’ she asked the rabbit in her mind. ‘Ya gonna make it?’ she repeated. ‘Are ya gonna make it?’ And the rabbit answered, ‘Well, I got to.’”
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LIFE & STYLE
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