A devoted Catholic mother who discovered she had cancer whilst pregnant with her 4th child and refused to abort, Jessica Hanna, has died.
Hanna passed away Saturday, Aprl 6th 2024 at around 8:02 p.m., surrounded by her loved ones and family.
She leaves behind four kids and a legacy of long-suffering forbearance, a perfect representation of the examples set forward by the saints and martyrs before her and of Jesus Christ before them.
Jessica Hannah’s story hit the public limelight a few years ago when she was diagnosed with breast cancer whilst a few months pregnant.
Already a mother of three, she was advised to terminate the baby to focus on her treatment but as a devoted Catholic whose religion was central to her very identity, she predictably refused the termination idea.
Instead, she battled through her cancer and gave birth to her son irrespective of the consequences to herself.
Alas, her bravery and devotion did not turn earn her a reprieve as her cancer returned with a vengeance, with scans showing she had a whopping 13cm tumour with a 43 lymph nodes positive.
She was deemed likely terminal.
According to a Gofundme started in her name, a hoped for miracle arrived for Hanna when she was ‘miraculously clear of all cancer’ two weeks after birth but it turned out to be short-lived with cancer returning in December 2022.
She has been fighting for her life since but recently was diagnosed as being at the end of her rope with her family and friends being so informed.
Numerous Catholic pages on Facebook sought help from their followers in praying for Jessica, who was also known as ‘Blessed by cancer’.
“Catholic family, Please pray for one of our friends who is very sick with cancer. The doctors said they’ve done all they could, only a miracle will save her. Her name is Jessica Hanna, and she has four young children 🙏” a page known as St Padre Pio prayer for healing group wrote on Facebook.
Eventually, she succumbed to her cancer in April 2024, leaving behind a legacy of steadfast devotion and long-suffering.
Tributes
Jessica’s sister, Gabriella Hanna, wrote a beautiful tribute in her memory.
“My heart is completely shattered. Jessica, my sister, my guide, my cheerleader, my source of Hanna family comedy. My personal saint, my daughter’s Godmother. My most wise friend who knew exactly what to say to ease my mind and make me feel like the most special person in the world, I don’t know how I got so blessed to be placed in this blip of life with you as my sister,” Garbialla Hanna wrote.
Jessica Hanna may be gone but her life thought so many lessons to the world about faith, principles and having the courage of one’s convictions.
Increasingly, it has become quite easy for people to hold onto no principles and simply do the most convenient thing at any time for themselves but Hanna taught us otherwise.
Her story is a real profile in courage and hopefully it inspires some people – no matter how few – to take their principles and convictions as seriously as they came and not as flimsily as the modern world appears to demand.