Surviving cancer should be a momentous occasion that leaves nothing but bad memories in its wake. The reality, though, is a bit more somber.
Fighting cancer takes all the resources a person has to offer -- mental and spiritual energy, physical strength, financial means, and time. A person fighting cancer has to sacrifice their career and personal life to spend hours undergoing chemotherapy, sleeping, trying to survive. So, many people quit their jobs, deplete their savings, and keep fighting.
A woman’s long battle against cervical cancer could have cost her everything, but she was lucky to have a son who was willing to quit his own job and academic career to take over her business and make sure it stayed afloat while she recovered.
Later, when she was in remission, her son was able to go back to school and make something of himself. 10 years after she beat her diagnosis, her son decided to give her the ultimate Mother’s Day present.
How a Woman Lost Her Beloved House After Getting Cancer
Daovanh Luangrah worked seven days a week for 13 hours a day to be able to afford to live comfortably with her son, Michael Luangrah, in their humble but beautiful house. Then, she got cancer.
She and her son both sacrificed everything to make sure she survived her diagnosis, and she did. Then, the great recession hit. Daovanh lost her house and had to get a small 300 square foot apartment.
At the time, Michael had gone back to school and was living away from home. His mother brought him home to her apartment one day when he came home from school.
She hadn’t told him that she’d lost her house, she just drove them to the apartment and explained that it was home now. Michael was heartbroken for her. All her hard work, and this was what she had to show for it? Michael decided that it was unacceptable, and he was going to work as hard as he had to to make things better for her.
How One Man Found the Perfect Gift to Give to His Mother
Once his mother recovered and was able to take back the reins to her business, Michael was able to go back to school. Eventually, he built his own business, including blogging and vlogging on YouTube.
As Mother’s Day was approaching, Michael began recording his plans on video for social media. For the video, he interviewed his mother about her experience with cancer and asked what she would wish for if she could get anything. She laughed and said that she would love a vacation, specifically a trip to Hawaii.
When pressed, she admitted that her ultimate dream was to get a house. Bingo -– Michael had just the thing.
He recorded himself working with a realtor and closing on his first house ever -– which he was buying for his mother! She had always put him and their family first, so he was putting her first. Instead of buying a house for himself, he would buy for his idol -- his mom.
He told his YouTube audience:
“For years, one of the goals of mine was always to provide my mother with something she worked so hard for and lost. This is the first house I ever purchased and I wanted to give my mother a home before myself because she deserves it the most. It’s been a long time coming and I just wanted to share this special moment with you.”
How a Man Appreciated the Sacrifices His Mother Had Made for Him
On Mother’s Day, Michael put on his Sunday best and brought his mother to a house she had never seen. He handed her a Tiffany’s box and explained that he loved her, looked up to her, and wanted to get her a special gift.
When she opened the box, she saw that there was a key inside. She looked at him confused, and he explained that it was a key to the house in front of them. Then he told her that the house was hers. She burst into grateful tears.
Michael’s story shows us that when our parents sacrifice everything to give us the world, they deserve the world in return. Circumstances made Daovanh lose her house, but they also helped Michael thrive in his career. What a wonderful son to be able to pay his mother back in the most amazing way.
