My story

Loving daughter and wife.

“I finally made my exams!” It was January 2006 and I was so happy. I was going to enjoy two months of deserved rest. I still had to finish my last academic semester, write my thesis, and then face final State exams. This was my plan. God had planned something else for me.

I noticed a little lump on my neck and it changed my plans and my life. We will have to remove it, exclaimed my doctor. It is just a simple operation… I spent three days in the hospital and I waited three weeks for biopsy results. I wasn’t worried at all. I was a 22-year old university student, full of energy and vitality. I didn’t expect it could be something serious. On 22 February 2006 the doctor told me: “It is positive“. I didn’t even understand what it means. Everybody in my family was shocked – I had CANCER. I was confused. I had lots of questions and fears.

From the very beginning I knew I was not alone. The whole family was united. They prayed for me the holy rosary every evening at eight o’clock. All other things became secondary. Many of my friends were helping and praying for me, even school-mates, other believers, and also non-believers.

When I first visited the oncologic ambulatory I hoped they would tell me that everything was a big mistake. But unfortunately it was not like that. I asked only one question: “Am I going to loose my hair?” Of course, it was not one of the most important things, but I did care about it. I remember the moment when I underwent surgical operation and I couldn’t even imagine that something like that can happen to me. In the hospital I saw two thin girls without their hair. In that very moment I had just one thought in my mind: “Lord, if You want to test my faith, take my hair. I wouldn’t manage it.“ Since I was a child I always considered my hair as one of my most precious treasures. Now I was going to lose it. Everyone is going to see me as a bony girl without her hair, because I have cancer – and it means death. I perceived the whole thing like this.

The beginning of Lent coincided with the beginning of chemotherapy. I had to lie still for several hours and look at the poison being injected in my body through my veins. Therapies were longer and longer. I had better and worse days. My doctor always asked me if I wanted a wig. I always refused.

I was in my last year of University and I didn’t want to interrupt studies. So, between one session of chemotherapy and another I was writing my thesis. In April I had to face a German language certification exam. Two days after chemotherapy I travelled 220 km to school. I feared I was not going to make it by myself. But I made it. PRAISE GOD!

Easter was coming up. The Holy Week began with severe pains. I was not even able to move. I cried. Doctors did not know what was going on. Drugs were not making any effects. After three days of unbearable pain I wished I fell asleep and don’t wake anymore. I was destroyed. My doctor said: “Ivona, you are a mystery for me “.

On Maundy Thursday night I received the most beautiful SMS in my life: “Ivona, tonight I am inviting you to my dinner. I want you to seat close to me. Your Jesus.” In that very moment I stopped crying and I felt a great sensation of interior calm. I still had physical pain, but I was tranquil. The same thing went on also on Good Friday. Then, on Holy Saturday my friend Eva came to replace my parents for a while. While my parents were praying in the church, my friend was kneeling with a rosary in her hands, close to my bed. I was laying in total weakness, but I felt God’s presence. Then, something unbelievable happened. I was suddenly full of strength and joy. I jumped from my bed. Pain had completely disappeared! Nobody understood what was going on. When my parents and my sister came in, they were completely shocked when they saw we were singing and dancing!

The unreal came true. I had experienced the Lord’s passion and then joyful resurrection. It was the most beautiful Easter in my life. It’s true - suffering is always followed by joy. God never stopped help me. I handed over my thesis in due time and I had to get ready for state examination at the end of August.

Beginning of summer, beginning of radiotherapy. I spent all sunny days in hospital and then studying books. Wonderful holidays! God never deceived me. He sent so many good people on my way and “we were all in the same boat”. I also found a good friend – a 70-year old man, full of optimism and energy. It was a sensational summer, full of wonderful moments I will never forget.

Now, I am writing as an engineer. It means that in the meanwhile I passed my exams. Therapies and school are over. A new life began. I successfully passed State examination and also my life exam. And what about my hair? I decided to say to God: “Ok, I give you my hair.” He took care of such a minor aspect as well. I eventually fell under 2% of patients that don’t lose their hair. Yes, my hair became a lot thinner and stopped growing, but I never had to wear wigs or other stuff around my head. God doesn’t want to take us anything. He wants to give us more – much more than we can imagine.

You might think my story ends at this point. It just ended like this in 2006. Two years later it unexpectedly continued...

One young man was so impressed by my illness that he decided to pray for me; and one day, together with a friend of his, he went to the convent of the Holy Cross in the village of Cerová, in order to ask the sisters to pray for me as well. Of course they did pray for me, but they didn’t get any feedback about my status. Two years later, thanks to my aunt I had a completely unexpected conversation with the sisters. Of course, everything happened by chance…

“That’s Ivona” said the sister who introduced me to a refectory full of other sisters. Surprise, joy, and emotions filled the whole room. They finally saw the girl named Ivona for whom they had prayed so much for two years. Now they saw me alive and in good health. And they told me a story...

There was a sister named Emanuela. After she heard my story she prayed God like this: “Lord, Ivona is a young girl; please keep her in good health – I am ready to die at her place. I sacrifice my life so that she can live.” On Easter day she felt very bad and began to suffer a lot. Right at the same time I started to feel relief from my pain – a sort of incredible resurrection. On 12 August I received the results of my final medical examinations. No traces of cancer. I was completely fit. Sister Emanuela died on that same day... A religious sister who never saw me in my life had sacrificed her own life for me. Two years after my recovery I was completely shocked by this fact.

The story has not come to its end yet. Back then, the young man that asked sisters for prayers could not imagine that he was saving his future wife. We got married on 10 October 2015 and we are living together thanks to Emanuela.

If somebody told me that I would have to face such a big hurdle, I would probably reply that I would not be able to bear it. The truth is that God doesn’t give us heavier burdens that what we can take up. At the beginning I did not have enough strength, but He helped me. He gave me support, a wonderful family and friends. They supported me and stood by me in my worst moments. My mum felt all my pain and she always knew what I needed. She took care of me as best as she could. My dad was always willing to do anything in order to make me feel better. My sister and friends took care of my social needs. They prepared an interesting programme for me. They entertained me with little things. They wanted to make my days happier. At the end of my therapy and school they made me a big surprise. They brought me to the concert of my favourite band! I will never forget that Easter Sunday, the moment when I stopped feeling that horrible pain… What a great joy. My unquantifiable happiness was multiplied by the song and the guitar or my friend Eva and her family.

I would like to thank God, Sister Emanuela, my husband, my parents, my grandmas, my godmother, my perfect aunts, my whole family and friends. Thanks to you I am here. I made it...

I have a message for all of you who are still fighting: don’t give up. Keep believing. Nothing is impossible with God. He is always with us. If God is with us, who is against us!