Big life events and trauma are hard, and overcoming them is harder. At LSHS, there are some strong staff and students who have overcome obstacles and some who are continuing to face them.
Imagine moving across the country to an unknown place. Sophomore Joshua Van Dyke recently moved here from New York, facing challenges like making new friends and getting used to all the environmental changes.
“The hardest part is to make sure you get things done on time and not all stressed out from everything that’s all happening at once,” Van Dyke said.
Van Dyke’s mother and step-father have been by his side supporting him throughout the entire process. Along with his family, Van Dyke recently got a hamster which has made him happier during the moving process.
A lot of students also deal with challenges like bullying. Sophomore Hunter Gibson has been a victim of bullying since he was in middle school. It had gotten so bad that he left in the middle of his eighth grade year and ended up doing an inpatient program in Boise, Idaho to learn about healthy boundaries and healthy relationships. According to Gibson the hardest part was getting through the day without thinking about the past and what he had been through.
“Hardest part would definitely be trying not to focus on it…that’s all I would be able to focus on… when am I gonna get bullied next?” Gibson said.
After the treatment in Boise, Gibson went to Crossroads High School before coming to LSHS for his sophomore year. Since coming herem Gibson has made some wonderful friends that, along with his family, continue to support him through this new phase in his life.
Most staff and students usually only deal with a common cold or the flu. In some bad cases, it could be COVID, but some of our community members have conquered serious health concerns such as cancer.
Senior Baylee Smith was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia when she was sixteen. While she is currently still battling cancer, she is getting closer to maintenance. Challenges like this bring hard times, and for Smith it was the beginning of her treatment when she lived in the Ronald McDonald House across from Seattle Children’s Hospital for two months. During that time, she was in and out of the hospital everyday getting chemotherapy and transfusions along with heavy doses of steroids that caused muscle loss.
Managing school while also living with cancer can be challenging and for Smith, her junior year was her hardest, not only because it was the year of her diagnoses, but also she switched to online school, which can be more difficult. Thankfully, she was able to return to in-person school for senior year with a reduced schedule.
Her support system consisted of her family, especially her mother, and her boyfriend who stuck by her side the entire time.
“He has been in the same position with me since the beginning and to the end as well,” Smith said.
It wasn’t only people that helped her through these times, but also animals. During her treatment she got four ducks, a dog and a new cat, which she still currently owns.
Dealing with cancer can be even harder when you’re not the only person going through it.
Staff member Lori Bannister works in the copy room, where she assists everyone with their printing needs. She is a bright and positive person, and on the outside, you would never know that she battled cancer. In 2005, Bannister was diagnosed with large B-cell lymphoma, which is an aggressive cancer that requires severe treatment, hers totaled 600 hours of chemotherapy.
During this hard time, her father-in-law and her mother sadly passed away from cancer, which took a toll on her. Her life was changing in ways she never thought would happen. Being in so much pain, doing tasks that most people would find easy, became a struggle.
“We struggled with so many pivots and then having to try to get through every single day…it’s literally survival for not just me, but for my direct family,” Bannister said.
Helping her through this time was her family, including her husband, son and daughter. Bannister’s friends and coworkers put together a meal train and helped raise money for their family as their way of support.
“I don’t think we would have gotten by without our support,” Bannister said.
Getting through these times can be stressful and hard. It has a negative impact on a person’s mental health. Sometimes it is just the smallest things that can cheer a person up, like a compliment, a hug or a simple smile.
“People have noticed that apparently I’ve smiled a lot more when going through this..they always say how confident and brave I am…it’s very important you have a support system,” Smith said.
No one ever knows the full story of what the people around them are going through. Kindness travels far, so be kind to everyone, as it might make someone’s day ten times brighter.
