Carey Link has been writing poetry since she was a teenager, but her words would become even more significant after her cancer diagnosis. Carey has now been living with metastatic breast cancer for seven years.
Her most recent publication, a book of poems called ‘I Walk a Frayed Tightrope Without a Safety Net’, is specifically about her cancer journey.
“Poetry has really helped me through my journey, “ Carey said. It was a book Carey dedicated in part to her doctor at Clearview Cancer Institute, Dr. Marshall Schreeder.
“I know that I wouldn’t be alive today if it weren’t for the people at Clearview, and the encouragement that they have given me and the life-saving treatment,” Carey said when we spoke to her in late May.
Carey’s cancer battle is just the latest hurdle she’s faced throughout her lifetime. Carey’s mother, Judy Link, said Carey was born prematurely and developed Cerebral Palsy.
“When you have to use a wheelchair, a lot of people think that you can’t think about what you can’t do or that you can’t think because you’re sitting down and that’s not the case. I’ve tried to transcend my disabilities through my writing and I don’t feel like I’m defined by them, and I’ve never let the cancer define me,” Carey said.
Carey hopes that by sharing her story, others will realize, they are not alone.
“I want to live my life to the fullest for the time that I have…I just think we all have something to give back, and I hope that’s what I have done through my poetry and other things that I’ve done,” Carey said.
Carey’s mother Judy added, “You just have to take it, every day is a gift is what it comes down to, every day is a gift.”
If you would like to watch our interview with Carey and Judy, CLICK HERE.