Livestrong
Looking down at my yellow, Lance Armstrong “LIVESTRONG” armband, I remember a friend who changed my life forever. He taught me how I should live my life no matter what the circumstance. I never knew that my friendship with Logan Thomas in the past five years would impact the rest of my future. I believe in leaving a legacy.
It all started when my family first moved to Birmingham. One of our very first friends was the Thomas family. Gail was a single mom raising two children, Cailin and Logan who my brother and I went to school with. About a year and a half later, we received tragic news that would change the Thomas’s life as well as ours forever. Logan began complaining about some pain in his hip and after completing numerous x-rays the doctor gave him word that he had a rare cancer known as Ewing’s Sarcoma. Who would have known that Logan would be one of the few? Logan received chemotherapy and underwent surgeries to fight off this disease. After a long and difficult journey, it looked like Logan was home free. However, two years later, he had a relapse of Ewing’s. He once again began his difficult journey with more fight and passion than before. His next year consisted of more treatments, procedures, and trips to the hospital, but he never gave up his will to survive. This past December his family and friends knew that his long battle would soon come to an end, and he would be called home with the Lord. Logan enjoyed a final Christmas and New Year with his family and on the morning of January 2, he was born into eternal life with God.
It was not only through Logan’s fight with cancer, but it was also through the days after his death that taught me something I will never forget. Two days after he passed away, there was a visitation. My family and I went and waited in a line of two and a half hours before ever seeing Ms. Gail. Those two hours were the most meaningful hours of my life. The line began outside of the funeral home and snaked around the entire inside of the hallways. As I watched the people coming and going, I realized the impact Logan had on those around him. In line, I met a boy who had never known Logan personally but had heard his story and followed his battle on his CaringBridge site. It was then and there that I realized his influence on everyone he met and even those he didn’t meet. It was Logan’s courage and character that left a lasting work on a multitude. Since then, I have found myself questioning the impact I have on others and what I am leaving behind on the way. Logan Joseph Thomas changed my life forever and the “LIVESTRONG” armband I wear in his honor is a constant reminder of what he left behind. I believe in leaving a legacy just like Logan.