26 • The Beacon October 15 , 2020
Our role at Interim Hospice is to provide end-of-life care that centers around Compassion , Dignity , and Respect .
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Survivor from Page 25 lose her .”
For Maddy Mahon , life drastically changed as well . Aside from her mom being sick and feeling worried and scared , she went from being a 13-year-old child whose main task was to get her homework turned in to a caregiver , nurse , housekeeper and cook .
“ I had to grow up ,” Maddy Mahon said as she remembered feeling like she was the mother during that time .
Thanks to friends , some kind teachers and the listening ear of a counselor , Maddy Mahon created a support system for herself outside of her family , and they helped make a difficult time a little more bearable .
For any child or teen who has a parent fighting breast cancer , Maddy Mahon has a few words of encouragement she would like to share . “ Keep your head up . You will have bad days where it feels like the world is out for you , but there will be more good days than bad . It ’ s OK if you can ’ t smile all the time . Talk to someone you trust like a teacher , friend or counselor . If you can ’ t say out loud how you ’ re feeling , write in a journal or draw your feelings , but don ’ t keep them bottled up because they will all come out at once .”
Maddy Mahon warns that often a lot of emotions come all at the same time . And for any child with a mom battling the disease , she said , “ Try to make her laugh when you can but also hold her and let her cry when she needs it . And every day , remind her that you love and support her .”
Similarly , Cindy Dalzell shared some ways family members and friends can help . “ Pray and ask others to pray . Spend time with your loved one . Help in any way you can . Cry with them . Listen to their fears and sometimes give them space so they can process what is going on in their life .”
Tiffany and Maddy Mahon both had a very helpful and encouraging support system . “ I have the best family ,” Tiffany Mahon said . “ They took me to treatments . My dad mostly took me and would sit and talk to me and the nurses until I would fall asleep . Then he would either read or take a nap himself . We ’ d be there for a few hours every week . A few times the rest of my family would take me , and Maddy would go when she had snow days from school .”
Tiffany Mahon shared how her parents and brother would transport Maddy to and from school and to all of her activities .
“ My family took turns sleeping on my couch . I had a family member sleeping on the couch every night . They even did my house chores . They did it all ,” Tiffany Mahon said . “ There were times when I couldn ’ t even get out of bed because I was so weak or sick , but there they were , making sure I didn ’ t have to . They did everything for me so that the only thing I had to do was fight the disease .”
Tiffany and Maddy Mahon both remember fondly how their church family would bring gifts , care packages and dinners .
“ We had so much greenbean casserole that it was enough to last us like four or five months ,” Maddy Mahon said .
In addition , the girls Tiffany Mahon had worked with also made up care packages and took turns bringing dinners over too .
Maddy Mahon described how she remembers a time , after her mom lost her hair , that a friend of the family came over with funny wigs to make her mom and her laugh .
The family boasted about how they had so many people praying for them and with them , from all over the world .
“ I had an amazing support system , and I appreciated all that they did for us . It was my daughter and my support system that kept me going and fighting ,” Tiffany Mahon said .
Tiffany Mahon revealed how when some of her friends would come over and get her out of the house by taking her on small trips or would come by and just lay in the bed beside her or watch a movie with her , it would encourage her .
“ Just simple cards in the mail encouraged me , knowing that at that time someone was thinking of me ,” she said .
Tiffany Mahon also said when she felt down or like she couldn ’ t go on , she reached out to a friend who was going through cancer as well and they would lift each other up in spirit and reassure one another they could get through it .
If you know someone going through treatment and you want to help by making them a care package , Tiffany Mahon recommends socks or slippers with grips on the bottom , warm gloves because getting cold happens more frequently , toboggans , puzzle books , devotionals , lemon drops ( sugar free ones for diabetics ), plastic silverware , heating pads , a journal and pen , masks , sanitizer , music gift cards , ChapStick , and small , soft , fuzzy pillows .
Tiffany Mahon ’ s mom credits God for the ability of her family to set aside their grief and to rally together to be the support system Tiffany and Maddy needed .
“ God is so good . Whenever we are weak , he gives us strength . By God ’ s grace we were able to put our grief to the side and do what we had to do to take care of our daughter and granddaughter ,” Cindy Dalzell said .
Cindy Dalzell described how they set goals for Mahon that she could check off as they were accomplished and that each goal that got checked off also got celebrated . To see Maddy graduate and for Tiffany to become a grandmother are the only two goals left on the list .
Of course , on the top of the list was for Mahon to beat cancer , to survive , to continue living and being with her daughter and family . And on May 20 , 2016 , she was deemed NED , No
See Survivor Page 27