Meet Jody.
Jody has always had a lot of drive and motivation to succeed in life. She said, “We are only put on Earth to love and help one another. If we do that, we can all make a difference.” 12 years ago, Jody was diagnosed with cancer that had spread to her thyroid, throat, cervix, breast, and lungs. This kind of diagnosis could easily have shattered her motivation, however Jody has always been driven. She said, “I want to work until my last breath.” Her biggest passion in life is to help others enjoy the best in life, which in her opinion is having a job or purpose that you believe in. Currently in remission and struggling from medical debt, she will not give up. She said, “I could go into depression, which I have done. I have felt sorry for myself… But then I thought to myself, I am no good to anybody if I am not healthy. So I had to get healthy for myself… to help others.” She grew up believing that idol hands breed idol hearts, so she is driven to stay busy and healthy. She said, “my drive is something that was driven in me. My parents both worked. They didn’t believe in government support. They believed if you had two legs and a brain you can do anything.”
Recently, she brought a homeless person struggling with alcoholism into her home with the intent of giving him a second chance at life. She said, “I have three miles I walk in life. I love hard. I work hard. And I play hard. That’s it. But love is number one. You have to love what you do and the people around. Just like this homeless person… I knew I needed to help this person and show him the resources available to him.” When asked about her husband who recently suffered from a second stroke, she broke into tears wishing she could do more for him. She even sold her own home to pay her children’s school loans so they can start off fresh. Her love and drive to help others is contagious. Cancer does not define her. Her love for work, and love for others is who she is.