r/BeAmazed • u/Jim_Leggett89 • 15d ago
History Last year, my mom Linda learning she went viral on Reddit and reading comments. Today she’s in remission from multiple myeloma. I Thank you!
In 1977, my mom Linda Leggett became the first African American woman to complete Officer Candidate School in the Delaware Army National Guard, something I never knew growing up. I began posting her story on Reddit last year during her cancer journey, and next month in October, she will be honored during Blood Cancer United’s Light the Night walk in Wilmington - I again want to say thank you!
Your support has helped her in her fight with cancer.
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u/Beaglester 15d ago
Go Linda 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 I’m delighted she has won the battle. Big love to you all ❤️❤️
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u/Suspicious-Aside2704 15d ago edited 14d ago
Yeahhhhh mama!!!! You got thissssss! So proud of you, you are strong.
Edit: thank you for the love ❤️🙏
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u/FilteredRiddle 15d ago
This is amazing! My grandma was the first woman to ever graduate from Army Chemical School, and the photo of her in her military skirt surrounded by a bunch of dudes, will always be one of my favorite, FAVORITE photos.
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u/Jim_Leggett89 15d ago
Wow! If you look at my older posts, you’ll see I posted about my mom being the State NBC Officer for the Delaware National Army Guard, that’s so amazing! You should post about her sometime!
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u/Fluid_Anywhere_7015 15d ago
That’s amazing. I’m happy for you and your mom! Multiple myeloma killed my brother in three long years. It’s a dreadful cancer with a very low survival rate. Your mom knows how lucky she is!
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u/Jim_Leggett89 15d ago
Thank you so much, and I am deeply sorry for your loss 🙏🏾 I’m doing what I can to raise awareness, cancer is truly terrible, you are in my thoughts!
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u/Omnamashivaaya 15d ago
Thank you for sharing this. Seeing the effect those comments had on her shows positive comments matter, we just rarely see the impact. So much love to your mom, she seems like a badass and a trailblazer! I live near Wilmington, when is she being honored?
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u/Jim_Leggett89 15d ago
She’s being honored on Oct 17th, here’s a link to my team page - it’s completely free to attend, hope to see you there! I’ll post in the Delaware subreddit soon: https://pages.lls.org/ltn/de/wilmington26/theleggettlegacyproject
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u/Omnamashivaaya 15d ago
Awesome! I love Wilmington, technically a city but actually a community. ❤️ Hope to be there and will def donate 😊
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u/Straight_Coffee_2026 15d ago
I'm so confused right now because I swear I saw this post just last week.
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u/Jim_Leggett89 15d ago
Yeah it got removed in r/pics, didn’t realize I violated a rule, but also wanted to update the community here!
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u/UnluckyBattle654 15d ago
So happy she’s feeling better, she’s got a beautiful smile. Please tell her thank you for her service. 🥰
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u/astoldbygngr 15d ago
I will be volunteering at this event next month! Praying for a speedy recovery 💗
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u/FatherVic 15d ago
Multiple Myeloma got my dad after 14 years. He was diagnosed with late stage 3/ early stage 4 in 2006 and had 2 marrow transplants and 3 rounds of chemo until he passed New Year's day of 2020. He never really went into full remission. He would get his white cell count down and be good for a year or so and it was right back to chemo.
I am so glad that you are in remission! Cancer sucks and you are beating it!!! Congrats and keep going!
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u/Micojageo 15d ago
So happy you're in remission, Linda! You look positively radiant and I'm sure you do, or did, excellent work with students at the student center
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u/Jim_Leggett89 15d ago
Thank you! And without giving too much away, that was from an interview last month we did at her old HBCU in North Carolina for my project - and yes it will be shared on Reddit (in some way) once it’s fully edited, it was powerful, similar to her first learning about being viral.
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u/LaFilleDuMoulinier 15d ago
Hey I don’t mean to be intrusive but did she get a CAR T cell therapy ? My father opted for this treatment 3 months ago and he also appears to be in remission. After 7 years of highs and lows it’s difficult to embrace the hope.
Tell your mom I’m so glad she’s doing good
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u/Jim_Leggett89 15d ago
She did not, she still remains on maintenance therapy, she’s goes to Penn Medicine once a month, we’re hoping by December they’ll be able to reduce it further, since she’s in her 70s, they said Cart T wouldn’t be best for her I believe (roughly going off memory). And thank you, I wish to best to you and your father in this fight!
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u/plantingnome 15d ago
Whoa! I worked on Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-cells (CAR T-Cells) research 20 years ago and I thought they showed massive promise. My GF, now wife, and I needed to move for her job and I stopped the research, but would always tell people about it and how it might change medicine one day. Hearing that CAR T-Cells have started is amazing good news!
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u/LaFilleDuMoulinier 15d ago
I don’t know about other countries but in France it’s been used for Myeloma since 2022 and has shown to be really effective
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u/plantingnome 15d ago
Very cool! The body's mechanisms for destroying bad things is superior to anything we have because they're so specific. Seeing this news made me hop back down memory lane. I know this was thought up back in the 90's, but 30 years for safety checks and testing to get to patients is incredible. CAR T-Cells made me think of how we will one day look back on Chemotherapy like how we look at leeches and amputations, a barbaric treatment we were forced to use because we didn't know better yet.
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u/Firm-Ring9684 14d ago
My dad passed from multiple myelomas and I know what a painful and all consuming of an ordeal it is. You honestly don't know what it does for me to hear this. I'm just some stranger on the Internet but Linda....I'm SO happy for you!! Whatever you believe in, God, Buddha, WHATEVER....I thank them for supporting you and helping you through because I've only seen the pain and negative it does and I'd give anything to have him back but just to know SOMEONE out there made it through.....it takes a bit of the rage I've had for so long. Thank you for sharing this journey and know what positive you're doing for people by sharing your journey. Much, MUCH love to you and yours. Sorry for the rambling. This just....I think some part of me needed this.
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u/Jim_Leggett89 14d ago
Absolutely no need to apologize, I’m grateful to hear your experience, and I’m so sorry for your loss, he sounds like a great man, and you have my deep condolences. Last year was rough with my mom, she got fractured ribs picking up a neighbors trash bin, and the next day in the ER they revealed her blood cancer being the culprit. It has been a long journey taking her to her weekly, then biweekly, and now monthly treatment appointments, but I know I’m extremely fortunate that’s she’s continuing to responding well to treatment, other than issues with her energy levels at times. I use my posts to try to not share her story, but also grow more Awareness to cancer in general. Anyway, now I’m rambling, but just wanted to say thanks for sharing this, it’s what makes Reddit truly special at times in my opinion 🙏🏾
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u/Firm-Ring9684 14d ago
You're more than welcome and just reading that....man...I just remember those trips to the e.r. and the appointments. There would be times, at least 3 I vividly remember, where he would swell up like you wouldn't believe. I don't know if it was the treatments, meds, his ill condition or all combined but he would literally swell 2 times his normal size. It was like some comic book character. And, it wasn't sweat or it didn't look like it but water was coming out of his pores to the point they had to put a blanket under him while he was in the wheelchair. I don't know why I remember that so clearly aside for the fact I'd just simply never seen or even HEARD of something like that before. Id hit every emotion included with that disease along with amazement. But somehow he kept smiling and making jokes about it.
He was.....I know everyone says things like this but when you come from a family with such a bad spirit about them, he was that light. I didn't realize exactly how much so until after he was gone. I miss and talk to him everyday but he held on as long as he could and I'm thankful he let go. The pain, physically and emotionally, that he was in....he needed to release whatever he was holding onto and finally, FINALLY get some peace.
No I'm glad you shared. In a weird way it felt like a win? Does that make sense? Kind of like watching a movie or reading a book about something you have a background in and you're like "I know how that feels" "Oh the same thing happened to". Anyway, now I'M rambling. Much appreciated all around.
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u/Jim_Leggett89 14d ago
Nope not weird at all, I completely understand! Thank you so much for sharing once again, especially about how special your father was 🙏🏾 and I have a subreddit if you ever want to follow more closely (I'm still working through it's direction) but r/LeggettLegacy - and even if you don't join (totally fine btw!) I'll for sure being posting some more "new" updates on my mom and her history. I'll building this all up to go as large as possible next year during the 50th anniversary of her achievement, working on a podcast / documentary series of some kind, but we'll see what happens. Anyways, once again I truly appreciate you, and the comments!
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u/Mintyfreshbrains 15d ago
Every blessing to you and your Mom. I'm uplifted and inspired and AMAZED,
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u/PhinneousPhingerz 15d ago
I am indeed amazed. My mother passed from Multiple Myeloma many years back. She was part of a lot of clinical trials in the '00s and '10s, some of which were effective. I hope they have been put to good use since then. Tremendous life story, too!
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u/Jim_Leggett89 15d ago
I’m so sorry for your loss 🙏🏾 and I thank you for sharing her story! Her past participation in clinical trials is what helps makes a difference!
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u/PhinneousPhingerz 15d ago
Since we're talking about it, do you know about the Promise Study? Entering those two words popped it up right away, as Google filled in the "multiple myeloma" for me. As the child of a MM mom, my sister and I both give a blood sample every so often which is sent for analysis. I believe the purpose is looking for a genetic link.
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u/anasalmon 15d ago
My Dad is currently battling Multiple Myeloma! I am so glad to hear your Mum pulled through it and is doing well! That's fantastic :)
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u/Abstrata 15d ago
That’s fantastic! This is my first time seeing or hearing about Miss Linda but I am happy for her beating cancer!! Last pic is beautiful, great dress.
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u/thecatandthependulum 15d ago
Heyyyyy congrats to her! Both for her earlier accomplishments and for beating the snot out of cancer.
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u/Londonsw8 15d ago
Bless her sweet heart, she has a new lease of life. I wish her a long and healthy life
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u/Fightthefire21 15d ago
You go Linda!!! ❤️❤️ Sending prayers and happiness your way for this amazing news
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u/humankinder 15d ago
Oh my goodness, prayers were answered! You're a true warrior and a lovelight in every sense of both of those words!! So happy for y'all! ❤️🩹➡️💖
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u/Consistent-Goat1267 15d ago
I’m so happy for her. ❤️❤️❤️My own father passed away from this almost 20 years ago. Glad that these new advancements are helping people beat this cancer.
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u/DaRudeabides 15d ago
YAAAAY, GO LINDA GO LINDA GO LINDA
delighted for ye op, this post made my day
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u/Electronic_Ad3576 15d ago
Thank you for your service Linda! As a cancer survivor myself it makes me so happy to hear you kicked its butt and are in remission. 🩷
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u/vanhouten_greg 15d ago
That’s so awesome. And I’m so happy to hear that. I’ve lost so many patients to multiple myeloma as an oncology nurse over the years. Seeing somebody beat it is heartwarming God bless.
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u/misslucialbcc 15d ago
Your mother is precious! What a sweet smile! You are blessed to have her! Saying a prayer for her & continued healing!
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u/DarthClitCommander 15d ago
Wonderful! My father is in remission from MM as well. Stem cells and modern medicine can do wonders.
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u/TurkeyEyed 15d ago
Way to go, Miss Linda. Impressive. We lost a wonderful young friend to MM. You’re amazing!
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u/Spaghetti4wifey 15d ago
She is amazing and congratulations on being in remission!!! Hope she has a wonderful time being honored at the event :)
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u/Alarming_Dream_7837 15d ago
She is a very beautiful lady, and I'm glad to hear she has regained her health :)
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u/gingerfawx 15d ago
Go, Jim's Mom! What a great result. What a fighter! Congrats and all the best moving forward. 👑
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u/Fuckern-shitern 15d ago
I lost my mom at 13. So glad your mom is finally doing well
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u/veroniqueweronika 15d ago
Your mom is amazing and a true icon. I wish you, her, and the rest of your loved ones nothing by happiness!
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u/Admarie25 15d ago
Amazing to see this. Way to go Linda! Wishing you many many more healthy years to come!
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u/AlrightZucchini4485 15d ago
You are incredible, Linda! Sending so much love your way. Being in the hospital is HARD. You make it look easy. Thank you for your service - you are an inspiration! 💗💗💗
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u/Amazing_Web7840 15d ago
Didn’t see the previous post but fuck yeah man. Props to your mom for kicking cancers ass. 🔥❤️
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u/Specific-Echo8235 15d ago
That is outstanding. She was also in the Army Signal Corps, it appears on her collar just above her left lapel. Communications. I joined the Army Signal Corps in 1997. So happy she's still with us.
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u/-Ailynn- 15d ago
God bless you and your loved ones, Linda! We love you and are so proud of you!! 🙏♥️
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u/DocSighborg 15d ago
I'm so happy for you. My mother is in remission from multiple maloma as from! I actually wrote characters into my book series (near the end of book 2) called the Myelomes. There are multiple of them. They are not present in book 3, lol.
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u/SmartWonderWoman 15d ago
Yay!!!! So glad she’s in remission! Thank you for your service Ms. Linda 🫡
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u/Automatic_Ad_5184 15d ago
Yes 🙌. This kinda thing just brightens my day. Go girl, live life to the fullest x
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