Relay for Life keynote speaker croons a song of faith and hope

http://youtu.be/e5MlI9JQsR8
Sing unto the Lord a new song.

Amanda Joy-Hall never dreamt that one day something would come along and wipe away the beautiful voice that had sung so many songs that had glorified God.

Then one day cancer came along, and threatened to silence the angelic voice which had sung so strong and true for so many years.

Joy-Hall, who hails from Streetsboro, was the keynote speaker at the 14th annual American Cancer Society Holmes County Relay for Life, but even as her courageous story resonated throughout the crowd on hand, it may have been her powerful song at the end which will stand as a lasting tribute to the many who were blessed to hear her sing once again.

Joy-Hall said that every single person who has been touched by cancer has a story. She said that her story of hope evolved as much around the burning desire to sing again as anything.

At 30 years old, while pregnant with her youngest daughter, she began having symptoms she could not explain. She figured it was pregnancy driving the symptoms.

The symptoms lasted, however, and the formerly healthy woman who had no history of cancer in her family was diagnosed with intestinal cancer.

Not only that, it was really bad cancer.

Shell-shocked, she returned home, never dreaming she would hear those dreaded words, especially at the age of 30.

Her cancer was spreading, at Stage 3B, and it had gotten into her lymph nodes.

Chemotherapy was necessary.

“I was ready to fight,” said Joy-Hall. “We are fighters. We are a strong family. My kids are as stubborn as I am.”

They dove into chemo with high hopes, however Joy-Hall had a bad reaction to one of the drugs.

At that same time, her husband was deployed to Iraq with the Navy.

Talk about bad timing.

Fortunately, Joy-Hall’s chemotherapy ended not long after, and she began to settle into her regular routine of taking care of the kids.

“You just want to get back to normal,” said Joy-Hall.

After her husband returned a year later, the family took a vacation, and she was getting tired again.

The doctor again came with bad news. The cancer was back, and had spread to her right lung.

“I was really angry because one of the things I had done since I was a little girl was sing,” said Joy-Hall. “There is no way, I had already been through so much.”

Surgery took a third of her right lung. She could barely speak, the pain was that devastating.

“There were times when I was just quiet for a week at a time,” said Joy-Hall.

Even as hope sprung eternal, despair began setting in.

A second round of chemotherapy followed, this time her body really reacting poorly to the process.

After a long and grueling journey, she made it through the chemotherapy.

That was when she experienced her first Relay for Life, and found the love and compassion of many very healing.

Her family, her church, her friends and neighbors, all became part of their extended family.

“I really held on to my faith at that time,” said Joy-Hall. “Because without my faith I would have had no hope.”

She began feeling better.

The disease had spread to her liver.

One more go-around, one more battle.

“I can tell you three things,” said Joy-Hall to the crowd. “Cancer has taken a lot from me. It has taken parts of my organs. For a long time it took my voice. It took my courage and it took my strength. But I stand here four years later cancer-free and victorious over cancer.”

She said she firmly believes in the Bible verse in Philippians, which states, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

“I would not be here standing in front of you today, if I did not have that (faith),” said Joy-Hall. “But most of all, I could not do what I am about to do.”

Joy-Hall proceeded to sing a song she had written while battling cancer. The song, Believe, is one of great hope and triumph.

The crowd sat in silence, many in tears, as Joy-Hall belted out the song, the angelic voice hammering out inspirational words of great hope, of belief, of joy.

Visit HolmesBargainHunter.com to view a video of Amanda Joy-Hall singing Believe during the annual Relay for Life event.