Finding the Light in the Dark
- America’s Got Talent favorite Nightbirde, 30, sadly quit the show last season during the quarterfinals when her health prognosis worsened. She has, been battling advanced stage cancer.
- Although the cancer warrior, who was born Jane Marczewski, is still fighting every day, she shared a beautiful poem on her Instagram about coming to terms with death, which conveys so much strength.
- Marczewski was diagnosed with terminal cancer on New Year's Eve in 2019. Doctors found "innumerable tumors" on her liver, lungs, lymph nodes, ribs, and spine and they gave her six months to live.
The Ohio native, born Jane Marczewski, wowed audiences with her incredible talent and devastating health story, which she calmly shared with judges immediately following her June audition. And the world fell in love with her. The video has since been shared 35 million times on YouTube.
Read MoreIt would be with the reflection of the mountains in my eyes
I would die with sun-pink cheeks
And a mouth full of blackberries I want to die while my heart is still a greenhouse for hope
All my wild dreams as seedlings in egg cartons
Reaching toward the window
I cannot die yellow and hungry
I will not die in sterile air
But I would like to die
While the fireflies are still glowing
Morse coding their poetry for a cynical earth
I would like to die like Joan of Arc
With dignity and urgency and stubbornness
A watercolor portrait in the night
A sight to behold, a hero in flames
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The poem is tragically hopeful, and shows such immense strength. Fans of the cancer warriorwho has amassed nearly 1 million followers since her initial primetime appearanceexpressed awe in the power conveyed in this beautiful work of art.
“This is one of the most beautiful poems I have ever read,” one fan wrote, “praying for you.”
“All of us as your followers will carry you in our hearts forever, you are a special person,” wrote another.
“You bring so much light to a dark world. Praying for your beautiful soul.”
Turning to Artand Sharing It During Cancer
Nightbirde has been musing a lot about life and death in her posts, but most importantly, she is finding the light in the dark, and continuing to LIVE and fight.
“Hi. I'm alive and in the grass. I can breathe,” she captioned along with a photo of her laying on the ground and smiling from Malibu, Calif. “I hate life and also love it. I tell myself ten times a day, ‘It's ok, you can do this.'”
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Nightbirde’s Cancer Battle
Marczewski detailed her cancer progressing in a recent interview with CNN's Chris Cuomo.
"I got shocking news less than a week ago about cancer regrowth that has taken over my lungs and liver," she told him. "So my liver right now is mostly cancer. More cancer than liver in there right now. But like I said, I'm planning my future, not my legacy. Some people would call that blind denial. I prefer to call it rebellious hope. And I'm not stopping anytime soon."
Accepting that cancer is something that just happens, and it’s not your fault, is a big part of coming to terms with the disease.
Marczewski was diagnosed with terminal cancer on New Year's Eve in 2019. Doctors found "innumerable tumors" on her liver, lungs, lymph nodes, ribs, and spine and they gave her six months to live.
The disease started in her breast in 2017 when she found a 4 cm tumor, according to her GoFundMe page. She had 6 rounds of chemotherapy, and three surgeries, including a double mastectomy. There is no breast cancer history in her family.
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"With traditional chemotherapy treatment the doctors are hopeful they can extend Jane's life by up to 3 1/2yrs," her brother Mitch wrote early last year on her GoFundMe page when the cancer had metastasized. There were "3 sizable tumors in her lungs, 'innumerable' small tumors in her liver, 3 tumors in her spine, 'innumerable' tumors throughout her ribs, and 'innumerable' amounts of smaller tumors in her nodes as well," he wrote. Marczewski had a brief remission in 2020, but the cancer came back.
Sometimes Bad Things Happen Enjoying Life, Even With Cancer
Breast cancer survivor Heather Maloney said simply trying to enjoy her life, even on chemo days, made a big difference when she was facing the disease.
"Find moments of gratitude, and you will get through it," Maloney told SurvivorNet in a previous interview. "Not everybody does … but we all do eventually see an ending to it. Life is hard for everybody, but I'm able to more readily and easily access a level of gratitude about being alive … I'm lucky to be alive today."
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