Kelsey

I asked her more details. She said she was diagnosed when she first went to college. She had an injury, a bone break. They did some testing and they discovered that she had cancer. She was fighting it for about a semester, but she beat that bout and then hadn't had a recurrence until that day. She was so flooded with grief for Morgan that the breakup became an afterthought.

I remember feeling so deeply sad because my breakup with Morgan was never about not loving her. I cared about her so deeply. The thought of her dying was insane to me and felt so unfair, especially to have this prognosis with her family not being very close. I was devastated for her.

I remember feeling so deeply sad because my breakup with Morgan was never about not loving her. I cared about her so deeply. The thought of her dying was insane to me and felt so unfair, especially to have this prognosis with her family not being very close. I was devastated for her.

I remember feeling so deeply sad because my breakup with Morgan was never about not loving her. I cared about her so deeply. The thought of her dying was insane to me and felt so unfair, especially to have this prognosis with her family not being very close. I was devastated for her.

We were sobbing, and then we went to bed, and I remember holding her, thinking, no, no, this is like my partner going through cancer. This isn't, oh, my ex-girlfriend from yesterday. This was someone I love so deeply, dying. Like, this really is the end of someone's life. The next morning, Kelsey woke up with a new perspective. It changed the way I framed our relationship.

We were sobbing, and then we went to bed, and I remember holding her, thinking, no, no, this is like my partner going through cancer. This isn't, oh, my ex-girlfriend from yesterday. This was someone I love so deeply, dying. Like, this really is the end of someone's life. The next morning, Kelsey woke up with a new perspective. It changed the way I framed our relationship.

We were sobbing, and then we went to bed, and I remember holding her, thinking, no, no, this is like my partner going through cancer. This isn't, oh, my ex-girlfriend from yesterday. This was someone I love so deeply, dying. Like, this really is the end of someone's life. The next morning, Kelsey woke up with a new perspective. It changed the way I framed our relationship.

I felt grateful that she was alive and I was ready to figure this out together.

I felt grateful that she was alive and I was ready to figure this out together.

I felt grateful that she was alive and I was ready to figure this out together.

She's like, I already have a plan with my doctor. We're going to start treatment. It's really unlikely that I'll survive this treatment, but it's worthy of taking a shot. And so that's what she did.

She's like, I already have a plan with my doctor. We're going to start treatment. It's really unlikely that I'll survive this treatment, but it's worthy of taking a shot. And so that's what she did.

She's like, I already have a plan with my doctor. We're going to start treatment. It's really unlikely that I'll survive this treatment, but it's worthy of taking a shot. And so that's what she did.

The next few weeks, she was doing treatment all the time, like four or five times a week. She would leave the house and come back really tired and struggle to keep a conversation, struggle to stay awake. She was just deeply impacted by the treatment. Quickly, Kelsey took on a caretaker role. I started really doing some research and taking care of her. I was making meals.

The next few weeks, she was doing treatment all the time, like four or five times a week. She would leave the house and come back really tired and struggle to keep a conversation, struggle to stay awake. She was just deeply impacted by the treatment. Quickly, Kelsey took on a caretaker role. I started really doing some research and taking care of her. I was making meals.

The next few weeks, she was doing treatment all the time, like four or five times a week. She would leave the house and come back really tired and struggle to keep a conversation, struggle to stay awake. She was just deeply impacted by the treatment. Quickly, Kelsey took on a caretaker role. I started really doing some research and taking care of her. I was making meals.

I distinctly remember trying to complete homework and being like, I can't finish this. She's puking somewhere, thinking like, get your priorities straight. This is someone's life. This is the end of their human life. And you're worried about not finishing this math problem?

I distinctly remember trying to complete homework and being like, I can't finish this. She's puking somewhere, thinking like, get your priorities straight. This is someone's life. This is the end of their human life. And you're worried about not finishing this math problem?

I distinctly remember trying to complete homework and being like, I can't finish this. She's puking somewhere, thinking like, get your priorities straight. This is someone's life. This is the end of their human life. And you're worried about not finishing this math problem?

Like why was I wasting my time on these early morning classes for like my own benefit when she only had a few months left to live? I just suddenly felt selfish and stupid. And that's really the moment that I reframed my entire life. For the first time in her life, Kelsey let school take a backseat.