I have had many personal experiences with my hero, my grandmother. From going to church almost ever Sunday, to trick-or-treating when I was little, my grandma has been there through the long and eventful road of life. When health issues with her and with me came up, she never minded to take me to the doctor or take me to pick up prescriptions; even though it was hard for her to walk because of many knee surgeries. She is my grandma; she is my hero.

Almost everyday, my grandma picked up my sisters or me from school or from the bus stop. Many of times, she was there with a smile on her face and the radio on, still on AM, listening to the Diamond Backs baseball team. It felt like she had a relationship with the players, knowing the each by name and deciding whether or not she liked them. Also, she was like a chauffer, taking everyone home even if the lived a few blocks over. She always made sure everyone got home safely and in a timely manner. She is my grandma; she is my hero.

When I was little, I went to her house almost every day. Some days were good and some days were bad. Sometimes we would sneak onto the playground at the school across from her house. I can remember playing for a long time then crying and whining that we had to leave because the school children were coming. Sometimes, we would go see movies and have lunch. No matter what happened, I was relieved when I heard the car door slam and my mom was home. She is my grandma; she is my hero.

I was going to bed late one night and I made sure I said goodnight to her. Early in the morning I woke up; ready and excited for dive team. As I was eating my breakfast, my mom was very upset. I asked what was wrong and she explained to me what had happened. The previous night, my grandma had fallen down the stairs and had a huge knot on her head. We rushed her to the emergency room hoping for good news. They did a CT Scan and discovered that she had bleeding in her brain. This is a serious trauma situation so they transported her to a hospital that treats trauma. It was worse then we thought. She is my grandma; she is my hero.

After three days in the Intensive Care Unit and countless tests, the doctors had come to the conclusion nobody ever wanted to hear. My grandma had a very aggressive type of leukemia called Acute Myeloid Leukemia (A.M.L.). A.M.L is a cancer of the blood and bone marrow. The bone marrow doesn’t produce enough red blood cells, white bloods cells, or platelets. The bone marrow also produces abnormal cells that replace the healthy cells, leading the patient to be more prone to infections or bleeding. The only way to get rid of the cancer is through intense chemotherapy which can harm and hurt the body. This was hard news to hear for everyone in my family. She is my grandma; she is my hero.

The best trait my grandma holds to her name is her tough, never back down type of personality. She never gave up in the horrible fight against leukemia. Even when she felt less than bad, she always kept a positive attitude. From the day she was admitted into the hospital, until now out of the hospital. The unfortunate thing is we do not know what will happen. The chemotherapy did not kill the cancer so these next months to next years may be the last for her. These months have showed me a side of my grandma I have never seen before. She is my grandma; she is my hero.

Before my grandma was admitted into the hospital, she was very active and loved to volunteer through Student Supporting Brain Tumor Research (S.S.B.T.R.). S.S.B.T.R. was a major part of her life and only four months before all of this went down, she was active making S.S.B.T.R. the best yet. Even though she could not walk at the walk-a-thon, that did not stop her from helping anyway she could. She helped with registration and made sure everything happened the way it should. Her heart is very big and nothing will stop her from loving. She is my grandma; she is my hero.

My grandma has taught me many life lessons in such a short time. One lesson is, no matter what happens and even in hard times, always look for the best. Next, never give up even if you really want to. Finally, if you are ever in the hospital for more than three days, make yourself used to the hospital feeling. In conclusion, my grandma is a very influential person who never backs down. She truly is my hero.