Beth Osment

Beth OsmentKensley ScatesWhen you think of a hero, what do you think of? Most people think of capes, superpowers, warriors, and battles. Beth Osment does not wear a cape, fight in battles, or have a superpower, but she is the epitome of a true hero.

Osment was diagnosed with invasive ductal carcinoma, stage 2 on July 8, 2016. From the very beginning, she showed heroic qualities. After learning that she had cancer, she had a long talk with herself.  She asked, “Okay what is next? What do I do to fight this?” When she first heard the news, the nurse looked at her with a gloomy face and handed her a box of tissues. Osment ignored the box of tissues.  Instead, her mind was set on what she needed to do to defeat cancer. When it was time to prepare for the battle that she was about to fight, she just told herself “ignorance is bliss,” and she made her mind up to fight. She also knew that she could not stop fighting because she had too many things to live for.

Osment started her treatments and began to see the physical side effects of cancer, as her little girl tried to place each strand of hair that fell out back on her mother’s head. On September 7, 2016, it was time to finally shave her head. Osment remembers that day very well.  Loosing herself in the memory she said, “The kids left for school, so it was just me and my dad at home.  I was in the bathroom, and I decided it was time to cut my hair.” When she first saw her kids after cutting her hair, she was not sure how they would react.  They were in the bathtub, and when she walked in, her little boy put his toy on her head and began playing. Her kids just saw her as mom, and to see her without hair never fazed them. “This was such a relief for me to finally get it over with, and to see that it didn’t affect my children,” Osment said.

Throughout her fight, she showed strength, courage, and faith. She was not only fighting cancer, but she was also helping her community by working for the Humane Society. “My family really wanted me to take a break from the Humane Society,” stated Osment, “but I knew that I couldn’t walk away from the society,” she added.  She still works with the Humane Society today as the treasurer. A true hero always stays true to their commitments, just as Osment did, even though she was going through one of the hardest times in her life.

Osment finally won her battle with cancer on February 14, 2017. She fought through every hard time and pressed on to reach the finish line. With a humble look on her face, Osment said, “I would not change my experience. My experience gave me opportunities like spending five months with my children, trying a new hairstyle I would never have thought of, getting to help and talk to other people who are going through what I went through, which I would never have been able to do before, and being able to grow spiritually.” She said she is still growing today. The fact that she looks at what she went through from a positive standpoint is an inspiration to me. Osment has shown me how to look at the positive things in life, and how not to focus on the negative.

In conclusion, Osment is the epitome of an everyday hero, from the way that she fought cancer, to how she never fails to have a smile on her face. She also always tries to do things for others. Every day that I see Mrs. Osment, I see a strong female who always faces challenges and goes above and beyond to stay involved in the community. Mrs. Osment may not be your average hero, but she was not born to be average.