As a nation we have watched Elizabeth Edwards endure pain that no one should ever endure in their lifetime. Now, as a nation, we have learned she has died from breast cancer.
An attorney, mother, best-selling author and the estranged wife of a former U.S. Senator, she discovered a lump in her breast in the midst of a high profile campaign tour in 2004. She was open about her treatment and became an advocate for women and women’s health.
When the cancer returned, she held a press conference on March 22, 2007 and announced she would continue to support her husband in his campaign for the presidency. Doctors explained she had Stage IV cancer that had spread to her bones, and it was treatable, but not curable. At that point in time she was asymptomatic, meaning she was not feeling pain from the disease even though it had reached a point where it was starting a process that would kill her. Every detail of her cancer situation was shared with the public, no matter how delicate.
She already knew what it was to face hardship. In 1996 her 16-year-old son, Wade, died in a car accident, and she found that comfort came from family, friends, her religious beliefs and even strangers who knew her as a public figure. She wrote about this in a book published in 2006 titled, “Saving Graces: Finding Solace and Strength from Friends and Strangers.”
While she chose to continue campaigning to support her husband, he chose to engage in infidelity and fathered a child outside of their marriage. His actions, which included false statements to the media, ignited an intense public spotlight and uproar in her life at a time when she needed to be using all her strength to fight cancer. She detailed her experiences in her next book, “Resilience: Reflections on the Burdens and Gifts of Facing Life's Adversities,” in a forthright and open manner.
On Dec. 6, 2010, at age 61, she said goodbye to us. The formal announcement was made in a statement given to the Associated Press and then shared through other media outlets. "Elizabeth has been advised by her doctors that further treatment of her cancer would be unproductive,” said the statement. “She is resting at home with family and friends.” The cancer, already in her rib, hip and lung, had now metastasized to her liver, a stage leaving just weeks of life for the patient. Family members, including her three children and estranged husband, were with her at her home in Chapel Hill, N.C. She died on Dec. 7.
While the press statement got the official word out, she chose to use a more personal method to talk with us directly, and posted a message on Facebook. In the privacy of her own home, at her own computer, with no cameras or reporters or other intrusions around, she sat down and chose her own last words without restraint. A private moment, a deeply personal moment, an experience so intimate, but one she wanted to share with us directly. We have all been touched by, and privileged to know, this courageous and inspirational woman, whose compassion for others will be her lasting legacy.
From her Facebook page:
“You all know that I have been sustained throughout my life by three saving graces — my family, my friends, and a faith in the power of resilience and hope. These graces have carried me through difficult times and they have brought more joy to the good times than I ever could have imagined.”
“The days of our lives, for all of us, are numbered. We know that. And yes, there are certainly times when we aren’t able to muster as much strength and patience as we would like. It’s called being human. But I have found that in the simple act of living with hope, and in the daily effort to have a positive impact in the world, the days I do have are made all the more meaningful and precious. And for that I am grateful.”
"It isn't possible to put into words the love and gratitude I feel to everyone who has and continues to support and inspire me every day. To you I simply say: you know.
"With love, Elizabeth.”