Stories:
More About Mary Beth
March 20, 2006
Andrew Hosea tells the story of his sister Mary Beth and her miraculous battle with cancer below: The doctors said that Mary Beth likely had the inoperable, malignant brain tumor from the time she was born, until the time it was discovered when she 'blacked out' one day in a mall while shopping when she was 15 years old. At the time of the tumor's discovery, the doctors in Atlanta gave her 6 months to live. She went on to live another 17 years, another entire lifetime for her at that time, defying the odds daily for the rest of her life's journey. My mom, Joan Hosea, said our family was on 'miracle time. Everyday is a miracle!' Likely because of the constant optimism of our family and Mary Beth, and Mary Beth's deep spiritual strength in God, she lived to be 32 years old - a miracle by any measure for having a brain tumor near her spinal cord and to the amazement of many medical professionals. Mary Beth enjoyed a life that was wonderful as could be imagined. She lost her hair due to radiation treatments, but could still laugh when her wig fell off playing tennis in high school. She smiled always and never complained about the many treatments and procedures that were experimentally tried on her in an attempt to eliminate the cancer. She painted hundreds of impressionistic paintings, illustrating her vibrant love of life and for others. Her paintings showed people happily interacting together and beautiful, serene landscapes that radiated a special, surreal type of peace and harmony. She gave away or sold for below cost many of these paintings, which are now literally all over the world. She enjoyed more than anything else, seeing other people be happy! Mary Beth was very strong in spirit and inspired so many people that had the opportunity to meet and know her. She would stand up in front of hundreds of people in both high school and college and share her story of determination and unwavering spirit to live life in face of what she called 'her special gift', but was in reality an ever-growing battle with malignant cancer. Mary Beth would not want us to be saddened by her life's challenges, but inspired as she was to live every day to its fullest, to be happy in the face of adversity, and to be sure to pass a smile along to everyone we meet. It is because of Mary Beth's desire to see others smile and the fact that she spent her last 10 years of her life confined to a wheelchair, that I saw a similarity in Ken Behring and the Wheelchair Foundation, in that all they expect in exchange for giving someone a wheelchair is 'a smile'! I have an identical twin brother named Aaron Hosea, who provided the following quote about my sister, Mary Beth to the minister who performed my sister's funeral in October 2003: "Mary Beth loved to laugh, she loved life. She loved her family, her brothers and her parents, she loved to shop -- especially for clothes&she loved her friends, summer camp, trips to the beach and mountains. She loved school pep rallies, cheering, and modeling. She loved music and her painting. She was always busy attending church events, participating in school organizations and throughout all her life being an encouragement to others."
