It's a story that we first brought you a little over a month ago on KPVI News 6, the story of teenage mother Jennifer Lake forgoing her treatment for brain and spinal cancer to protect the life of her unborn child and in doing so gave up her own.
Since then the story has now gone global with viewers being inspired by young Jenni's self-sacrifice.
“When the Associated Press came and talked to us, we figured it would just be in a few newspapers,” said Diana Phillips, Jenni’s Mother, “We didn't think that it would be anything this big.”
After that AP article ran in newspapers nationwide earlier this week and first appearing here on KPVI News 6 just over a month ago, the story of Jenni Lake has now circulated around the world. Comments on the Jenni's Journey Facebook page have come all the way from New Zealand, Germany and Italy to name a few. Diana says her heart swells with pride for her little girl.
“It makes me really, really, really proud of her but it also makes me laugh,” said Diana, “because she's all over the world and when we did the first benefit she didn't even want her picture up on the billboard.”
And with the new found notoriety, Diana has been able to help herself and others cope with the difficult nature of losing a loved one.
“I got a message from a lady, I think North Carolina, and her youngest daughter has the same kind of tumor, grade 3, that Jenni had,” Diana said. “There's a lot of support for the patients themselves but as for the parents there's not, so it was nice to have someone else that I can talk to.”
But with all things popular there will be the naysayers, and for them Diana has one very special message.
“She may have had some problems but she was a really good person and it doesn't matter what the people say online because the people that know her best know what's real, so those people can kiss it,” said Diana.
If you would like to see our original story on Jenni Lake you can click
here.
