Freshman Emma Dryden uses battle with cancer to encourage others
Grace Mestad |
"Twirling to me means putting complete trust in God. It means knowing that even when your life seems to come crashing down, you still take the hand that God has outstretched. And you twirl.” -Emma Dryden
For most high school seniors, the month before graduation is filled with anticipation for the closing of one chapter and the beginning of another - college. Emma Dryden, a freshman family relations major, was facing a much different reality - cancer.
A native of Zeeland, Michigan, Dryden was set to move to Nashville to begin her freshman year at Lipscomb University in fall of 2015. However, just one month before her high school graduation, Dryden was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma, a type of cancer in the lymphatic system.
Immediately after her diagnosis, Dryden began chemotherapy treatments in Michigan, with plans to begin college and complete her treatment in Nashville. Unfortunately, as the side effects of chemo set in, she soon realized college would have to wait.
As her journey through cancer continued, Dryden and her mom Tammi decided to start a Facebook page titled, “Twirling Through Cancer,” to publicly share her story and encourage others through her treatment.
“The idea behind ‘Twirling through Cancer’ came from my love of spinning in dresses and the idea that twirling is something you can do without any care; not that you don’t care what happens to you, but more just resting in the fact that you know whatever does happen to you, God is still in control,” Dryden said.
“Twirling through Cancer” has over 3,102 page likes as well as thousands of comments and posts from people who have been inspired by her story or wanted to send encouragement to the Dryden family. The posts closely followed the ups and downs of Dryden’s battle with cancer and how she has responded both physically and emotionally.
Dryden said that her mom was the driving force behind the page and constantly kept it up-to-date on her treatments, doctor’s visits and even the struggles of being a parent watching their child go through chemo. Although Dryden says there were difficult moments, she wanted to use the page to show people that even through the darkest times, God is still there.
“I want people to know that pain is real and there’s always something underneath that people are struggling with,” said Dryden. “Jesus is still there in the midst of pain. He doesn’t stop working just because there’s pain, although your dreams may get put on hold for a little bit, God is still there with all of it. He loves you through it, He knows all the little details, He still cares.”
Dryden and her mom also used the idea of twirling to create bracelets and raise funds to help with the cost of her treatments and encourage others in their own struggles.
“I wanted them to say Twirl because it’s a reminder that everybody goes through struggles and that they’re not alone,” she said. “It’s a simple reminder that God is with us through everything.”
Another simple reminder Dryden said she received was from Lipscomb. Dryden’s admissions counselor, MacKenzie Williams, sent her a care package to show that admissions was thinking of her and that she was very much a part of the Lipscomb family.
“It was so special to receive a package from MacKenzie,” said Dryden. “I was hardly even enrolled at Lipscomb and they were still thinking about me. She sent me a box with Lipscomb gear and a little devotional book to help me feel better during treatment; it was so sweet.”
Although the initial decision to postpone attending Lipscomb was difficult for Dryden, she was glad she waited.
“At first I thought I could just wait to start until spring semester, but after talking to MacKenzie some more I realized it would be better to start fresh, and I’m glad I did,” said Dryden. “I finished treatment on Nov. 24 which would have only given me a month to pack for college and process everything, and that wasn’t enough time. I’m still processing my journey, but it was good to have a full semester to process everything that happened and feel those feelings.”
Now a freshman family relations major at Lipscomb, Dryden hopes to someday work in a hospital with children facing life-threatening illnesses, much like the one she faced. She said her journey through cancer has helped solidify her decision to pursue this career and not only help others, but share God’s faithfulness in the process.
“I love Lipscomb. I love being here and my cancer has really made me appreciate coming here so much more, because there were times where I really felt I wasn’t going to get here,” Dryden said. “Cancer has given me more appreciation for life and more of a drive and motivation to get through school and do Child Life and share Jesus with people.”
Even though Dryden’s journey to Lipscomb wasn’t quite how she originally planned it, she says she is happy to finally be on campus and that she is looking forward to what God has in store for her future. She hopes that her story can continue to show others that God is always in control, you just have to twirl.
To learn more about Dryden’s journey, visit: www.facebook.com/twirlingthroughcancer/.