A Bit of Heartache

This was a rough one to do, but after all the tears and a taking a "mental break" I realized that writing it was just what the doctor ordered.

This is a profile of my step-sister Jill and her battle with cancer. Unfortunately, not too long after I wrote it, Jill passed away. When I saw the rest of my family, they were quick to tell me how much they loved this article and how happy they were that I wrote it. That's all the gratification I needed.

Enjoy!



Laughter is What Keeps Us Alive

They say laughter is the best medicine. It is no wonder that Jill Hamilton-Locke is spending most of her time cracking jokes and goofing off with loved ones.

Locke-Hamilton, better known to friends and family as Maxi Chill Woman or Jilly Willy, has been laughing her way through her 14 year battle with Lynch syndrome. A rare inherited condition that increases risk of colon cancer, Hamilton-Locke’s battle has not been an easy one.

She was diagnosed in 1996, when she was 26-years-old, just six weeks before she was married to husband Brian Locke. Since then, she has had seven operations on her colon and intestines and 35 rounds of Chemo therapy.

In during a period of remission, Hamilton-Locke used her time to attend Stony Brook University and receive her master’s degree in Human Resources. She worked at a handful of companies, selling time for different sports shows and heading human resources at an alarm company.

Shortly after graduating, Locke-Hamilton’s life went through yet another transformation. She and Brian jumped into parenthood. In 2004, the family was blessed with a son, Nolan Locke. Now 6-years-old, Nolan is the apple of Jill’s eye and, along with his father, the source of her strength.

“We were on the phone after one of her procedures and all of the sudden Jill started cracking up and tells me, ‘Nolan apparently thinks pants are optional in this house!’ Her voice went from dull to animate in seconds. That boy is her everything,” said Jenna Morgenthaler, a close friend.

Recently, Hamilton-Locke’s condition has gotten worse. She is spending more time in the hospital and away from her family.

“It has taken her away from her time with her son and daily simple life things, like play outside, take a walk, just being a mom. On an emotional level, Jill knows that this year could most likely be her last and she wants to make sure her son will be okay when she is gone,” said Hannah Imperial-Cannon, a close friend.

With all this, Hamilton-Locke never stops laughing, whether she is joking about purchasing a blue Marge Simpson for her next round of Chemo therapy or singing songs and telling jokes with her son and husband.

“Her spirit hasn’t broken. She is such a strong woman, she will never let you know she is in pain. Jill just wants to be herself, not herself with cancer,” said Morgenthaler.