Kira Smith

For those that don’t know me, my name is Kira, and I’m 25 years old. Recently I noticed a lump in my neck, which was right by my thyroid. My family has a history of thyroid problems, so I went into the doctor expecting them to tell me mine was acting up. Luckily for me, my thyroid is completely fine. Unluckily, the lump turned out to be a tumor. It turns out I have a very rare cancer called metastatic high-grade malignant myoepithelioma. It’s a long-winded way of saying the cancer started in my muscles and soft tissue and has quickly spread to the rest of my body. It is incurable, and remission is unlikely. The doctor put my odds of survival at less than a year. I was born in Green Bay, and recently moved to Little Chute. I’ve spent my whole life here, but I never intended for this to be my whole life. I wanted to move to a big city, just to see what it was like. I wanted to travel, learn new languages and cultures, and meet interesting people. I wanted to find work I loved, and make a career out of it. I wanted to see what the future holds. I still want those things. I’d like to think I can still have them. My odds are poor, but I’m going to fight anyway. I’d rather go down swinging, than to give up before I’ve even begun to enjoy what life has to offer.