Elisha Guillard, the daughter of Pete and Andrea Guillard of Roanoke, Va., was a 22-year-old with a lively spirit. In December 2017, following a simple eye exam, she was diagnosed with a rare form of leukemia called Biphenotypic Acute Leukemia. With this type, both myeloid and lymphoid cells are affected. All her ambitions and dreams were put on hold as she focused on beating her illness. During her short stay in the hospital, “Lishy” told us she wanted to help other young cancer patients after beating it herself. But in her case, cancer won, and she never got the chance to help others.
Lishy passed away on February 6, 2018, just 39 days after her diagnosis.
To honor her and keep her desire to help other young adult cancer patients alive, we started Lishy’s Gift.
Its goal is to help make life a bit easier for those who suffer, as she did, here in the Roanoke Valley. With Lishy’s Gift, we want to raise the quality of life when life is at its worst.
Those who knew Elisha knew she didn’t take the diagnosis of cancer calmly at first. Cancer interrupted her life as it has interrupted so many others lives this year. And yet, her doctor used words like courage, grace, and determination to describe Elisha.
Over 39 days, she began to accept and process her diagnosis. She learned about and tried to understand what had invaded her body. She controlled what she could and accepted what she couldn’t. Elisha at 22 mourned the loss of what was and began to prepare for what was to come. She began to allow herself to live in the space she was given.
Amidst her own suffering she was determined to help others like herself. Some days were easier, some were very hard, yet still, she was thinking of her fellow patients, and others she would never know.
Lishy’s spirit is in all we do. Every time we deliver a comfort bag, some part of Lishy lives on.