My Experience: Sean Sweeney

As a young kid, sometimes you meet certain people that inspire you. Micky was one of those people. I can’t tell you how or when I met him, but my childhood and life could never have been the same without him in it. He taught me to have fun, but most importantly, to always be kind and help others. In April of 2016, Micky was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, a white blood cell cancer. As a sixth-grader, I understood the seriousness the disease commanded; however, I could have never prepared myself for what I would learn, feel, and see over the next year. Time passed, and after watching the strong man, the superhero, I knew battle through rounds of chemotherapy, it began to look like things were getting better. It wasn’t until later that year when we learned that his cancer had spread to the brain.

Micky never had a wife or kids; however, my parents, siblings, and I are very much his family. We spent most nights huddled together in the small rooms at St. Francis; it was here I learned that every little thing matters. Every supportive text, joke, funny story, or even a chocolate chip cookie snuck into the hospital really did make a difference that was powerful enough to light up an entire day or week. The Little Things Are Powerful. Micky passed away in January of 2017, and it’s my mission to make him proud. When it comes to hardship, especially cancer, it should never be understated that there is no action too small. Everything matters.