Spotlight #2

Everybody meet...




Chante Wouden


I asked Chante to tell me her "story"... "I am a two-time cancer survivor. Consequently, I've lost my hair twice, relearned how to walk three times, had countless surgeries, radiation, and chemotherapy treatments, grown a new liver, and battled an enlarged and failing heart. Going strong now, though, and better than ever. Happy to be alive!"

What helps you when things feel difficult- how do you find strength?

1. "When things are difficult, I think it's important first of all to admit it. Allow yourself to say, "This is a hard situation for me, and that's okay." Don't minimize your trials. Life is hard, and that's part of the purpose because it teaches us and we learn and grow from our trials. So just admit it. "Hey! I'm having a hard time here!"

2. After you stop to admit it, get moving. Find strength in family, friends, and faith. People are a great support if you surround yourself with those you love and who love you. Then hope, a positive attitude, and faith are perhaps the single most important thing to get you through anything.

3. Lastly, just remember the most true statement that was ever spoken, "This too shall pass." Hang in there!

What message would you share with someone who is having a hard time?

"I love you. And even though I don't know what you're going through, I can relate to your pain and am so sorry you have to suffer.

Suffering is universal - it touches everyone who ever lived and who ever will live. So no matter who you are, you will have hard times because suffering touches everyone - but remember so does love. Endure the suffering. Focus on the love.

I met someone who was paralyzed from the neck down - a quadriplegic. He said he loved to listen to the birds sing. Something he never heard before he was paralyzed. He couldn't walk,but he could listen and found love in the song of a bird. We are surrounded by love - we just have to open our hearts to feel it."

Share with us a time that you felt you wanted to give up...

"I wanted to give up when I felt the most intense pain of my life.

I was in the hospital intensive care unit just hours after a surgery to remove a large tumor in my liver. They cut out most of my liver and left a little bit to grow back. (Cool organ huh?!) My stomach was covered in staples and the epidural pain medicine ran out before the nurse could replace it, so suddenly I felt everything - including the severed liver and every one of the staples holding my three large incisions together. I've never felt a more intense pain in my life. Every breath shot pain waves through my body. I froze with fear. I couldn't speak. I couldn't breathe. I wanted to die.

The nurse was frantically trying to replace the epidural medicine, but now that the pain was in control it would be difficult to get rid of it very quickly. So I did the only thing I could do - I grabbed my sister's hand who was standing near my bed and squeezed it so tight both of our hands turned white. Then I prayed silently, "Please make it stop!" I said it over and over again in my head as I sucked in as small amounts of air as possible. I didn't know we were capable of feeling so much pain.

After what seemed to be an eternity, the pain finally stopped. I was so relieved. I said a prayer of thanks and thought to myself, "If I can get through that, I can get through anything!" I think that's the perspective trials give us. They test our strength so we know how strong we really are. "

Do you have any favorite quotes or inspiring messages that help you?

"Dream big. Life is too short to do otherwise." - My mother.

What do you feel is the biggest pressure facing women and teens?

"The pressure to focus on ourselves. This is probably the great irony of our lives as well. How do we become the beautiful, successful women we all want to become without focusing on ourselves? We do the opposite of what we naturally want to do. We focus on others. The more we serve others the easier it is to find ourselves because there's more of us to find!"

What is your favorite flavor of ice cream?

"Chocolate - yum! "

Tell us about an embarrassing moment...

"I was playing the piano at a wedding and waiting for my cue after the ring ceremony to play the grand 'Wedding March" as the couple came back down the isle. But because I was in the back, I couldn't hear and got the wrong cue - so right in the middle of the wedding, at the wrong time - I started to pound out my song. From all the surprised looks I could tell it wasn't my turn yet, so I quietly faded out the song, pretending it was on purpose. Maybe it will start a fad - music in the middle of wedding ceremonies!"

What is something you love about yourself?

"I love my eyes, and when I put on a little makeup to bring them out - wow they look good!" ;)