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Fall 2011 : Survivors Say: Hilton W. Graham II
Survivors Say
Hilton W. Graham, II, of Richmond, Va., has been a member of MD Anderson's Advance Team since 2010, serving on the education committee. He is the founder of The Graham Consulting Group, LLC, a full-service political and public affairs consulting firm.
A cancer-free Hilton W. Graham II, who underwent a stem cell transplant to overcome Hodgkin's lymphoma, cherishes the time he spends with his daughter, Betsy. Photo courtesy of Hilton W. Graham, II.
As many know, there is nothing scarier than battling cancer.
In September 2009, I had a stem cell transplant in hopes of beating my second bout in 10 years with Hodgkin's lymphoma. I was 30 when I had the transplant and had an 8-month-old daughter at home. I didn't get to see her very much for the first year of her life. But thanks to MD Anderson, I'm now as happy and healthy as I can be, not to mention the proud father of a beautiful 2-and-a-half year-old girl. I love every moment I spend with her.
Staring cancer in the face makes you appreciate and recognize some of the things in your life that require more attention than most of us realize. It awakens your spirits and aligns perspective.
While the road was not pleasant, the outcome is beautiful. I'm thankful to MD Anderson for helping me get there.
Promise invites cancer survivors to share their reflections. Email your story to us at promise@mdanderson.org.
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