FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. (WSVN) - A South Florida woman in sharing her survival story as she battles cancer for a second time.
7News cameras captured Olivia Chipman as she sat in a wheelchair outside Broward Health Medical Center in Fort Lauderdale.
“I’m not able to move this leg as much,” she said as she touched her right leg.
Chipman, 29, is unable to walk after a cancerous tumor in her pelvic area caused neuropathy and other problems.
Doctors diagnosed her with Hodgkin’s lymphoma, again. She was first diagnosed 10 years ago.
“When I got it again, because of how it came with the leg symptoms and everything — I didn’t have night sweats, I didn’t have the vomiting, losing a lot of weight — it was a bit of a shock,” she said.
This type of cancer attacks the body’s lymph nodes.
“We’ve had to start her on chemotherapy, so she’s had to undergo a lot of treatments, as far as that goes,” said Dr. Shannon Keating, a hematologist and oncologist at Broward Health, “but just in general, because of where it’s located, she’s had to undergo a lot of changes with her activities of daily living.”
Because Chipman can’t walk, she has to do physical therapy.
However, before her diagnosis, she had graduated with a computer science degree and had just started a new job.
“I was working at a rehab center. Then I got too sick to work,” she said.
Because she wasn’t able to walk, she couldn’t work. Then the COVID-19 pandemic happened.
Chipman has a large family, but they all live in the Bahamas, so Chipman lost her home, and she was also dealing with cancer.
She said faith kept her afloat.
“Once I started treatment, I just kind of put my faith fully into the system of chemotherapy and the Lord,” she said, “and I feel like it just helped me get over my dark moments.”
“She in particular has had a great spirit through the whole thing. She’s a great, positive person,” said Keating.
Chipman said she tells other cancer patients to hold their head up, because this too shall pass.
“Just have faith, you know, just trust in the process. Listen to your body and just don’t give up. Don’t dwell in negativity,” she said. “Just look at the silver lining. It’s going to be hard, but just try to seek some type of positivity throughout your day.”
Chipman is scheduled to have her PET scan next week. Doctors are hoping that she is cancer free for a second time.
She has started a GoFundMe page for help with expenses. If you would like to make a donation, click here.
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