Lennie Hesson, from Lebanon, Tennessee, received news that no one is ever prepared to hear after going to the Emergency Room due to not being able to eat and swelling in her stomach. After running some tests, the doctor came close to her and said, “All of your organs are swollen inside; there is no good cancer.” She was soon diagnosed with stage three mantle cell lymphoma, a rare type of blood cancer that would later be defined as stage four. Lennie looked back on this day and explained, “It was exactly how you see it in the movies- almost an out of body experience.” Not realizing the seriousness of what she would be diagnosed with, Lennie went to the hospital alone. After receiving the news, she immediately called her sister Christine. With the overwhelming reality of what she was about to face and the concern of what her future would be, the first thing Lennie said to Christine was, “Who is going to take care of my daughter and grandbabies?” Lennie would then be hospitalized for four days, so her other sister, Lora came to be with her.

                Lennie didn’t allow the negative thoughts of what might happen stay around for long. She described, “God was my support network. I knew that He had the last say in everything, so I had to let go of control and praise Him even when I was sick.” As she started chemotherapy for six months, she told her doctor, “My faith isn’t in you, it’s in God to use you.” There were times within Lennie’s fight that the side effects from the chemo were so bad, she could only lay in bed. She described that even in those circumstances, she felt the Lord with her. Lennie shared, “I would reach my hands up as I was lying in bed and I could feel His hands on mine.” Through those hardships, Lennie prayed for acceptance of God’s will. She said, “God’s will is better than what I can think of for myself.” Even when times were uncertain, she relied on the certainty of God’s faithfulness!

                Because Lennie needed to start treatments aggressively, she was put on part time disability from FedEx Supply Chain. In the midst of all of this, she was told that her rent was going to be increasing by $400 each month. Lennie explained, “I thought I might have to move in with my daughter. I had been in my apartment for 11 years, and I didn’t want to have to up and change my safe place in the midst of all of the other new challenges.” Lennie’s sister discovered Sherry’s Hope and shared the information with her. After applying for assistance, Lennie was approved and began receiving help with her monthly rent. Lennie expressed, “Sherry’s Hope has been such an answered prayer. Receiving a cancer diagnosis was a change already, so being able to stay in my apartment was a blessing.”

                Fast-forward through six months of chemotherapy, so much prayer, and a lot of support from her daughter, sisters, brother, friends, and coworkers, Lennie is now in remission! While telling her story, Lennie abundantly expressed, “I only want to tell my story to give God the glory! I give Him all the credit!” She continued, “I am grateful to be on this side of things to be able to tell my story. If it was not for my faith, I don’t think I would be here sharing these things.” She reflected on her life before cancer and after, “I wasn’t really living before I got cancer. I was all about working and going home. I just didn’t have time for anything else. Now, I don’t stress over things that are small or let those things dictate my whole day. Life is short and I make time to do things! I still think of the people who are having to go get treatment and how I felt during those times.” Lennie would like to encourage others who are facing cancer, “Hold onto your faith and know that God is with you. You aren’t alone. Praise Him through the storm, and He will get you through it! I would often relay things found in God’s Word back to Him, praying things like, “God, I can be of good cheer because You have overcome the world! I don’t have to fear because You have good plans for me and You care about my future! You know what is best!”’

Sherry’s Hope is honored to be such a small part of Lennie’s amazing story. Because of your support, Lennie was able to stay in her safe place through her cancer journey. Lennie expressed, “The people who support Sherry’s Hope give hope to those who depend on Sherry’s Hope. They make a difference.” As 2024 comes to a close, we ask you to prayerfully consider making a donation of any amount to Sherry’s Hope. Your generosity will make a lasting impact on the lives of families in Wilson County and surrounding communities who are battling cancer for years to come.

To learn more about Sherry’s Hope, please call 615-925-2592. To refer someone for assistance, please call 615-925-9932 or email help@sherryshope.org. To make a donation to Sherry’s Hope, click here or mail donations with the memo #HopeForTheHolidays to Sherry’s Hope, P.O. Box 8, Lebanon, TN 37088-0008.