Courtesy Photo | U.S. Army Spc. Malcolm Montgomery, his wife Latoya and his son Malcolm. X. Montgomery,...... read more read more
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Spc. Malcolm Montgomery: Montgomery 100 - Cancer 0
By Annette P. Gomes, Warrior Care and Transition
ARLINGTON, Va., - U.S. Army Spc. Malcolm Montgomery has a lot to be thankful for this holiday season. It’s been seven months and one day since he told cancer to “kick rocks.” Montgomery was diagnosed with acute promyelocytic leukemia, and he faced this challenge head on.
“When I first received my news that I had cancer, I didn’t cry or give up. I smiled and said this is just all a part of my testimony,” Montgomery said.
August 17, 2017, Montgomery’s day began with a scheduled Army Physical Fitness Test. A short time later, his life took a different turn. He recalls telling his chain of command he wasn’t feeling well and waiting for assistance. Soon after, he found himself on the way to a hospital.
“I passed out and woke up in the back of an ambulance. It was horrifying and weird because I was never someone who was sick often, or even injured,” Montgomery said. The fact that he had cancer wasn’t just taking a toll on his body, but his mind as well.
“You’re scared. You’re used to fighting for your country, but now you’re fighting for your life. The military was there for me all the way,” he said.
Montgomery received treatment in El Paso, Texas, but was then able to move closer to family in his native Columbia, South Carolina.
“My strength came from my grandmother. When I returned to Columbia, she drove me to treatments every single day and stayed with me the entire time. My wife was in New York and also came to visit me while I was in El Paso and she came home to Columbia, to be with me.” Montgomery’s mother, father, brothers and sister were there every step of the way as well. They brought him food and would do anything to make him smile. “My family support is remarkable! The love they give me is so uplifting,” Montgomery said.
On May 9, 2018, Montgomery received his last chemotherapy treatment. The hospital staff had a surprise for him. They gathered outside his hospital room and sang a rousing rendition of “pack your bags and take a hike because the end of treatment is what we like.” Montgomery, was overcome with emotion as he rang the bell that symbolized the end of chemotherapy. The video of him ringing the bell has since gone viral on the internet.
“May 9th was a day like no other. I have not had the jitters like that since the day my son was born,” Montgomery said. “The moment I went to ring the bell it was hard, it was like can this really be true? Is it finally over? But when I rang that bell I felt like I got my life back. I no longer had the chains of cancer on me and broke free. I felt in that moment, that every moment after May 9, 2018 was my moment and that I will capture and take advantage of every one of them.”
As Montgomery continues to monitor his health, he says he doesn’t see cancer as a curse, but a blessing he counts every day.
“This is just the beginning of a great testimony. Life throws different obstacles in our way, some big, and some small, but through Jesus Christ I was able to conquer them all. To my fellow Soldiers, you are a Soldier and that is not just with the military, but that’s with anything in life. No matter the situation, you can do it and you will make it.”
| Date Taken: | 12.10.2018 |
| Date Posted: | 12.10.2018 15:23 |
| Story ID: | 302876 |
| Location: | ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA, US |
| Web Views: | 1,565 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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