by Justin Kim
I am a brain tumor survivor.
I was diagnosed in 2002 and again in 2004. I have been in remission since 2005. That is the short version of a very long story.
The longer truth is that my life has been shaped by everything that came after. Years of intense chemotherapy, radiation, bone marrow transplants, and multiple surgeries in 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, and 2012 changed my body forever. Today, I am legally blind, deaf, and physically handicapped. I live with ongoing symptoms and side effects that most people will never see or fully understand.
Still, I consider myself a living, walking miracle.
I have survived death four times in my life. In 2002, 2004, and 2005, my body endured more than it should have been able to withstand. Then again in April 2022, I faced a different kind of battle.
Since 2004, I have lived with clinical depression, largely connected to profound and severe hearing loss. For 19 years, the weight of that struggle followed me every day. In April 2022, it nearly took my life. I attempted suicide, and I am here today only because I survived.
I believe with everything in me that I was given a second chance.
I believe I am still here on Earth for a reason. That reason is to help save the lives of others who are fighting brain cancer and those struggling with mental health challenges. In December 2023, I became a certified peer support specialist, turning my lived experience into something that can support and guide others through their darkest moments.
My life is not easy. I have good days and bad days. Some days are heavy. Some days feel overwhelming. But every single day, I choose to keep going.
I remind myself, both verbally and mentally, of the mantra that has carried me through it all:
Always stay positive.
Stay strong.
Stay calm.
Never give up.
Practice self-control and discipline.
Survival is not just about staying alive. It is about choosing hope, again and again, even when the road is hard. I am proof that healing is not linear, that strength can exist alongside pain, and that purpose can rise from the darkest places.
If my story helps even one person hold on a little longer, then every battle I have fought has meaning.
Thank you for listening.
