Today we’d like to introduce you to Laletha Cunningham.
Hi Laletha, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
December ninth two thousand and nine I lost my husband of nineteen years to colon cancer. Prior to him passing away, I had already enrolled in school at point university in east point at the time. My intentions was to get my bachelor degree. And pursue a career in social work. But that wasn’t what God wanted. He spoke to me and said, chaplain, I said, no. He said, yes, so upon me completed my bachelor of science. That next year, I enrolled at liberty university in seminary school. And I got while I was working a full-time job, I was committed myself to 4 and a 1 years Two stand in on weekends to type my papers for grad school and maintain a b average.I graduated in december two thousand nineteen.I was supposed to go up to graduate at liberty in virginia, but covid broke out.So they mailed me, my master’s degree. Have to complete in my master’s degree.I continued on to do eight units of c p.E: which is clinical pastorial education and north side hospital atlanta. After completing those units, I applied for chaplain with several hospices and the last one I think, was the 10th I had an interview that whole week. And this in a finish was the 10th.
Place that pursued me.I didn’t want to do hospice, chaplain c I wanted to stay at the hospital at the time, but my spiritual health and education director said you have to branch out for a year to hospice, and then they’ll call you back to work there.Which they did call me back.I came on board and twenty twenty two with Affinis. Twenty twenty three, northside call me twenty twenty four.They call me, I turned them down.Because I actually love what I do.I get a chance to minister and educate people about hospice every day.But I also get a chance to use my ministry as chaplain.I love it.I love the work that I do.And in september eleventh of two thousand twenty four I was diagnosed with stage four breast.Cancer, which I am currently are they going chemo once every twenty one days?I just had a chemo yesterday back up and running today back to work yesterday after chemo, going at my own pace but I actually love what I do.I cover fourteen counties here in georgia, and I love every bit of this work. My testimony is that i’m a survivor i’ve already beat this thing.Cuz god has already told me.I just have to go through this process.And there’s so much more for me to do in this world, my prayer is that I can encourage someone that they can beat this.I have some rough days and I have some good days but i’m gonna always trust god.He’s gotten me this far.And I trust him. My story is i’m a survivor I took care of my mother father and husband before they passed away of cancer.And today, i’m leaning on God and my family.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It has not been a smooth road.Even in grad school, the first semester I what’s put on academic probation and had to go before the board to plea?My case, I was still grieving my husband but I was still trying to work.And go to school so that I could make a life for myself.Then, once I finished all my schooling and went on and did my residency at northside hospital, atlanta got into my career.I was diagnosed what’s stage four breast cancer that spread it to my bones?I’ve since had several scans, it even spread it to my brain.I had to have ten sessions of radiation in march this year.Which I drove myself to and from ellenwood, to Piedmont Fayetteville oncology radiation, ten straight days, but from the support that i’ve had from my family and my work family, my church family has been phenomenal.And I thank god, and i’m still fighting every day.I’m a survivor by god’s grace.The world needs to hear my story.It has not been easy but I will not give up.I will keep fighting every day of my life.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
My title is community care liaison, /chaplain Affinis Hospice in Newnan as I said above, I have fourteen counties that I cover clayton county.Henry county and all the way down to barnesville, backup griffin, marywell, the county lagrange, douglasville, villa rica Newnan fayetteville peach tree city . My job is to educate families.I go to the hospitals.I go to a lot of marketing.Events and to educate people about hospice, about particularly a lot of people.Think hospice is death.Hospice is basically extended level of care.I cover five facilities, three and newnan, one pea street city and one in barnesville. And while i’m speaking to families, i’m very transparent.Because of what i’m going through, I will not lie to them about anything.Our hospices nonprofit, so we are basically we’re not profit but we are for quality and extending more life to people each.And every day and caring loving on them and their family, and that’s what I love.What I do every day and I know that’s what’s keeping me going is that I am out here.Doing the work of serving others and that’s what we all should be doing in this world
Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
When I did my two year residency at northside hospital as chaplain, I was doing sixteen hour ships and then one day a week and then 48 hour ships, there remain another week.I tell you, I seen so much death.Y’all so much people standing by the bedside holding their hands. I covered th NICU, the oncology floor in pulmonary thoracic, each floor 3 months, the hardest thing was the babies sitting with families that have just delivered, and knowing their baby is not gonna live. My heart went out also to Mother’s and fathers with young children, Mother’s, fathers that the lives, or you know, just in the hands of God. Their loved ones watching them pass away. And we’re standing there and praying, there’s nothing you can really say but to sit in that space with them. I saw so much death during the COVID 2 years. I was there at north side, but it strengthened me to prepare me for what I’m doing now. And I know it was only God. And I tell you, I never, ever try to hold back tears when i’m sitting with families.I cry with them.I hold their hands, I educate them.And I stay with them, and they can call me anytime.And that is what I love.What I do is serving serving.This journey has been I tell you, it’s been my personal life, losing my family to cancer, and then just here with going through the process with other families.This is a book that will be written and published so much in my life.
Image Credits
Thanks to jodie bellum that i’m able to share my story at marketing events.And just inspire someone and encourage them to keep going, don’t give up.Cancer is not a death sentence.We are all surviving every day and we just keep your attitude positive i have already won this battle, and I can share this story with anyone.And be very transparentIf you look at the photos, my hair did fall out two days after my chemo.All of it did, but I have learned to go with the ball and and it’s just growing back.But I am okay, i’m surviving.So thanks to jody, bellam, she has been a blessing.
