It’s a family disease, they said. Meaning cancer doesn’t just affect one person in the family, it impacts the whole family. But what happens when you don’t live with family? What happens when the person arguably most impacted by your diagnosis isn’t blood related at all?

When I bought my house three years ago, I never could have imagined what life would bring to it. Being single, I needed roommates in order to pay my mortgage. After zero luck finding a roommate through my church or other Christian facebook pages, I settled on posting an ad to Craigslist. Yes, Craigslist, where everyone warns you not to get murdered while meeting up with strangers. That one. I definitely got a few strange messages, but I also got a message from Heidi.

Heidi came over to the house late one night to meet me and see the house. Yep, we are talking an 8pm meet up at my house with a stranger. While I may not recommend my roommate finding strategies to others, God knew what he was doing. While the house tour was fast, we ended up talking for over an hour just about life. That stranger I met off sketchy Craigslist became not only my roommate but one of my very best friends.
But when she signed the rental agreement back then, cancer was never on the contract. Taking me to appointments and Urgent Care, rubbing my back with Biofreeze, helping empty my surgical drain tubes after surgery…none of that was anything she signed up for. But she did it anyways. The other night I was the sickest I’ve been since starting chemo and was scared to be alone. She slept on the couch outside my room just so she could check on me.

While my family has no doubt been on the front lines as much as they can living in Tennessee, Heidi has walked through the hardest moments with me daily. Her heart is as big as they come, and she has stepped up to be so many things for me… a nurse, a cook, a driver, a lawn care provider, a cheerleader. While she didn’t sign up for any of it, she took on all of it, and that is one of the purest forms of friendship I know. I hope everyone is lucky enough to have a Heidi❤️