They Call Me "The Miracle": The Carmen Rice Story

Book excerpt: Cancer is a major worldwide public health problem and is the second leading cause of death in the United States. In 2018, there were seventeen million new cancer cases and 9.5 million cancer deaths worldwide. Seemingly, everyone has been affected by or knows of someone who is affected by the disease. In 2004, doctors discovered that Carmen Rice had a stage 4 Glioblastoma Multiforme brain tumor, one of the deadliest of all cancers—the same cancer which killed John McCain, Edward Kennedy, and Beau Biden. After being diagnosed with a glioblastoma tumor, twenty-nine-year-old Brittany Maynard made headline news when she moved to Oregon to die with dignity. Carmen’s doctor gave her six months to live, but with her faith in God and tenacious spirit, Carmen just kept beating the odds. After all these years, Carmen is “off the map” and into uncharted territory. They Call Me "The Miracle" is her story.