Early this semester my uncle, Bac Lam, was diagnosed with lung cancer. My family is very small, since only a handful of my parents' siblings were able to come to America from Vietnam when they were children. They wanted to escape a third world country and have better opportunities for themselves and for their kids. There were times where he thought he wasn't going to make it through the night and often times I would drive from Corpus to Dallas (where my parents are) then drive to Arizona (where Bac Lam and his family live). I missed many days of classes. Somedays coping with the traveling and emotional duress and stay locked up in my room, crying and in fear what would happen if he died. Eventually I went to speak to one of the on campus counselors, Suzanne Bonds. She was able to help me cope with my stress and emotional instability in our sessions. Our sessions progressed from once every week or two to twice a week. On top of Bac Lam's cancer and rapidly declining health, I was slipping into a deep depression and was hesitant to leave my room and be social beyond my two only friends that…show more content… Even with chemo and experimental treatments, he died on the 25th in Arizona after my dad and his siblings’ plane landed back in Dallas. A family text was sent and before I knew it I was bombarded with responsibilities and having to choose. I had exams and tests in class and a plane ticket to go to Dallas then to Arizona for the funeral. I spoke to my professor, Ginger DeLatte, who was very understanding and referred me to the Student Engagement center to see if they could help my situation in order I could pass her class and other classes at the semester’s end. After speaking to Kristeen Gonzales and Ann Degaish in Student Engagement and Success, I felt a bit more confident in my classes and attempted to my best ability to do what I could so I could pass my
