Cancer Survivor Rings Bell 25 Years After Beating Lymphoma

What started as what felt like a popcorn kernel stuck in her mouth turned into a 25-year journey of survival, faith, and finally, closure.

When doctors discovered a tumor instead of food debris, Lonenetta Bradford received devastating news: non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Her father had died of Hodgkin's lymphoma at just 60 years old, so the diagnosis felt like a death sentence.

But Bradford chose to fight. Through chemotherapy and radiation, she found strength in writing down her emotions, which eventually became a book called "Three Years in the Storm."

The treatment saved her life but came with lasting effects. At 65, Bradford lost all her teeth to radiation damage and endured four knee replacements that struggled to heal properly. Still, she credits her support system and the care team at CARTI for giving her hope when she needed it most.

"CARTI means hope, because without your doctor, without your treatments, what would happen to you?" Bradford explained. "You wouldn't be here. So they give us hope."

For nearly 25 years, something bothered her. When she finished treatment decades ago, CARTI didn't yet have the ceremonial bell that cancer survivors ring to mark the end of their journey. That symbolic moment of closure had eluded her.

So Bradford picked up the phone and called CARTI to ask a simple question: Could she still ring it?

Why This Inspires

Bradford's story reminds us that healing doesn't follow a calendar. Some people need 25 years to find closure, and that's perfectly okay. Her willingness to share her struggles through her book offers hope to anyone facing their own storm, whether cancer or any other life challenge.

"I'm hoping it will help people with anything in life to trust God, have faith, and fight and don't give up," she said.

Surrounded by family and friends, Bradford finally rang that bell at CARTI, celebrating a victory won 25 years ago but honored today.