Mobile, Ala. (WKRG) — WKRG News 5’s Caroline Carithers’ older sister, Emily King, has been fighting stage 4 colon cancer for years at the young age of 29 years old. Instead of a story of sadness, here is one of inspiration. We told part of Emily’s story back in 2020, but this time Emily has taken her situation and used it to help other people going through a similar challenge.
Emily started her 20s graduating college, teaching first grade, getting married, and traveling until April of 2019 when she and her husband, Brady, first heard the word cancer. Emily is a stage IV colon cancer patient, has been fighting cancer for two and a half years, and has done over 35 rounds of chemo. As she was pumped full of chemo, she found natural ways to fight the horrific side effects her treatment brought including nausea, dry skin and lips, headaches, dehydration, anxiety, and fatigue. She found what worked for her and helped her, and what did not.
So Emily started Fighting with Hope, a non-profit where she and Brady put together personal chemo boxes free of charge for cancer patients all over the country. They are filled with everything that has helped Emily through her treatments.
“So when I got diagnosed with cancer, I was thrown into this amazing community. This amazing cancer community. I was so blessed by them, so I wanted to give back to them,” Emily says. She puts very personal items in each box that have helped her during her tough days such as Starbursts to mask the taste when they flush her port after chemo or ginger gummies to help with nausea.
“I hope that we can reach as many cancer patients as possible so they don’t feel alone… When you talk to another cancer patient and you talk about things you are going through, and they are going through the same things, it is really comforting,” Emily adds.
Emily and Brady have sent out over 35 chemo boxes nationwide. She hopes to show that even in your darkest of times, during the fight of your life, when you feel you have lost a sense of purpose — through THAT time — you can bless and help others through the same fight.
Emily includes a personal letter in each box explaining what each item helps with. An excerpt from her letter reads, “We know firsthand how hard chemo is for you and your family. Cancer and chemo are the literal worst, but we personally have learned some amazing things about God during this time. I hope this brings a little uplift to your yucky chemo days. Everything in this box has a purpose and has helped me through my chemo weeks.”
Emily has boxes for everyone: men, women and kids. You can sponsor a box, donate, or request a box at https://www.fightingwithhope.com/ or search Fighting with Hope on Facebook or Instagram.
