According to the website Chemocare, an average cycle of chemotherapy lasts four to six weeks. Most cancer patients undergo several rounds of chemo, which means that they remain sick for years. Surviving such a horrible disease deserves celebration.
Even those who haven't experienced cancer understand the impact of learning that you're cancer-free. Photos of former patients ringing the bell, glowing with joy, or dancing in excitement will warm anyone's heart. Drop that heartbreaking internet news for a bit and rejoice with these brave cancer survivors.
Ringing The Famous Bell
In hospitals, ringing the bell always signifies good news. Patients ring the bell to celebrate that they have ended their cancer treatment are beginning a life cancer-free. It's no surprise that this is an emotional moment for several patients who have been in treatment for a long time.
In August of 2018, Edward Ruiz's mother, Diana, left the hospital cancer-free. Understandably, she became overwhelmed with joy while ringing the bell. The happiness on her nurse's face is heartwarming.
A Celebration That Deserves A Dance!
Over 200,000 Twitter users have shed tears of joy over this father. He was so happy to find out that he's cancer-free that he danced in the hospital hallway. Who wouldn't want to dance after learning such wonderful news?
Being cancer-free means a lot to the patient and to the family. No more painful treatments or weeks in the hospital. This man can finally begin living his life as normal. And that's something to celebrate.
Brighter Than The Flowers She's Holding
A woman from Carluke, Scotland posted a photo that warmed everyone's hearts in February 2018. "Happiest day of my life!" she wrote. "I'm CANCER FREE!!!!!" Although she's holding a beautiful bouquet, the real focus of the photo is her contagious smile.
"Congratulations" seems too lackluster to celebrate this woman's joy. You can feel her ecstasy and relief radiating from the picture. During treatment, a survivor's life is put on hold. Now, hers begins again.
A Child's Last Day Of Treatment
A mother in Toronto, Canada posted this picture of her celebrating with her nephew during his final day of treatment. "After 3-1/2 years of fighting, today we get to celebrate my warrior nephew's last day of treatment," she wrote. The young boy fought leukemia at such a young age.
The family has every right to celebrate and mark down the date. Over three years of a vicious disease is no joke, especially for children. He truly is a warrior.
Receiving Good News
This candid photo has brightened the days of thousands of Instagram users. Hannah Levine from Southern Oregon battled Stage 3 Triple Negative Breast Cancer. The mountain biker lost mobility for months as she went through chemo. In September 2019, she received good news.
"I got the call," she wrote on Instagram. "Pathology and surgery came back and there is NO EVIDENCE OF CANCER in my breasts, lymph nodes, or ovaries." Look at her pure happiness!
The Best Time To Celebrate With Family
Beating cancer not only brings joy to the survivor but also their family and friends. In April 2017, a woman posted family photos after they learned that her father was cancer-free. The dad's shirt says "straight outta chemo." Hopefully, he'll never have to go back to it!
You can see the joy on everyone's faces in a picture that the family will likely keep forever. Four months after the post, the daughter updated it with a video her father dancing four months after being cured, "living his best life."
Sisters Rejoice
A Twitter user named Hannah posted a series of pictures celebrating that her sister was officially cancer-free. In the first photo, Hannah is hugging her sister so close that she might be close to choking her. In the other photos, the two smile and rejoice with their pet miniature pig.
These photos are so heartwarming that other Twitter users celebrated with them, despite not even knowing the two sisters. Here's to a long, happy life for the two of them.
Raise The Roof!
These photos came right after a father heard that he no longer had to battle cancer. Despite sitting in a hospital room, he radiates joy and optimism. Who wouldn't want to dance in their seat knowing that all treatment is over?
The man's daughter, Alexa, tweeted these photos. They quickly gained almost 80,000 retweets from people who express congratulations to the family. Even though they're strangers, these internet users understand what a relief this is for the family.
Truly The Happiest Place On Earth
In September 2005, Anna Ungar visited Disneyworld in Miami, Florida to celebrate becoming cancer-free. She fought lymphoma and leukemia for years before finally overcoming it. In September 2019, she returned to that spot 14 years later--this time with her husband and young kids.
Not only do these pictures demonstrate the vivacity of being cancer-free, but they also prove how someone's life can turn around after healing. Disneyworld was the happiest place on earth that day, and not because of the park.
Surviving Cancer So Early In Life
When she turned 22 months old, Anna Grace was diagnosed with the opsoclonus-myoclonus syndrome (OMS) and neuroblastoma, cancer that infects nerve cells in the body. She went from a carefree toddler to barely be able to walk. Fortunately, Anna is now cancer-free.
In 2017, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta posted this photo of Anna celebrating one year of being cancer-free. At this point, she was almost three years old, happy, and active. It's such a heartwarming recovery.
Chemotherapy Can't Shed That Smile
"Twelve rounds of chemo and 3 surgeries later I'm officially CANCER FREE," she posted to Twitter on July 2019. The woman in the photo, Lauren, uploaded one picture of herself during chemo, and this photo of her after treatment. Her smile is the same in both images.
It's hard to believe anyone can smile like that during such a terrible disease. One round of chemo takes about two to six weeks, so she endured several years' worth of harsh treatment. She has every reason to be proud.
Starting The New Year Strong
After years of staring into a bleak future, one man started his 2017 on the right foot. He posted this photo on New Years' Day with the caption, "Started the year off #cancerfree." The relief on his face is palpable because all of his fighting finally paid off.
Over 150,000 people offered their congratulations over Twitter. Who knows how long its been since his New Years' resolution wasn't "getting better?" He has his whole life ahead of him.
Jumping For Joy!
Some of the most wonderful pictures stem from the famous cancer-free bell. In 2018, Lacey Breeden officially became cancer-free. She posted these amazing pictures of her celebrating while ringing the bell.
Her picture both epic and gorgeous. She received over 300,000 notifications, some from other cancer patients posting their photos and wishing her congratulations. It goes to show that these photos inspire several others who are undergoing the struggle of a lifetime.
Elated And Relieved
In September 2018, mother and wife Alexis received the news that she was officially cancer-free. She had survived Stage 3 breast cancer and celebrated her 31st birthday with her family. One year later, she posted this photo from the day.
"You can't tell, but I was ELATED. RELIEVED," she wrote. "It was like a breath of fresh air after dunking in the deep waters of the unknown." Here's to 32 more birthday celebrations!
Celebrate With A Song!
Five-year-old Oscar started his battle with Rhabdomyosarcoma, cancer that infects skeletal muscles, in June 2017. A year later, he got to ring the bell. A Twitter account called Oscar's Journey chronicled his experience, including Oscar celebrating his clear scan results.
"He decided to serenade everyone at the clinic," the Twitter account wrote. He played the piano in joy, because what's a celebration without some music! That piano was donated by the band The Vamps for this purpose. How cute!
She's A Survivor
In August 2016, Kenz from Texas learned that she was cancer-free. She snapped this photo next to an "I am a survivor" sign to commemorate her achievement. "Now I can say 3 years later I'm still cancer-free and couldn't be more blessed," she wrote in a Twitter post in 2019.
The high school cheerleader was only a teenager when she tackled the disease. Today, she's healthy and living her best life. She is a survivor!
What Better Way To Celebrate?
Here's another cancer survivor who decided to celebrate. Erin Hamill announced her cancer-free status on Instagram through this adorable photo. When patients have struggled through breast cancer (or any other cancer) for a long time, they deserve a vacation.
This photo has an air of freedom and celebration. You know that this is only a piece of Erin's celebratory day. It's no wonder that survivors travel to spend a vacation after receiving a clear scan.
Here's Her Certificate Of Freedom
There are dozens of photos of cancer survivors ringing the bell, but few pictures of them holding their chemotherapy treatment certificate. An Instagram user posted a shot of his mother-in-law, Jean, when she learned that she was cancer-free.
Not only does she look happy, but also healthy and vivacious. This photo provides an in-the-moment spotlight of joy while the patient is still sitting in the doctor's office. The family may want to consider putting that certificate in a frame!
No One Fights Cancer Alone
A mother and grandmother in Chicago, Illinois got to ring the bell on September 2019. Beside her stood her son, daughter-in-law, and grandchildren. It's a joyful reminder that family and friends stand by the patient through thick and thin.
The (former) patient's son posted the photo to Instagram on September 14th. "WE SO #PROUD AND #BLESSED TO SAY YOU RANG THE BELL YESTERDAY," he wrote. This wonderful parent got to celebrate with her entire family!
Her Glow Has Returned
Nothing puts cancer into perspective more firmly than before and after photos. A woman posted one photo from her cancer treatment compared to a picture of her after she knew she was cancer-free. She's absolutely glowing in the second shot.
"Four years ago today, I fought for my life and won," she posted on Twitter. "Today by the grace of God, I'm four years cancer-free." In a sense, her pictures share two victories: the first winning the battle, the second winning the war.
