Rachel Reich

Last week I had the sad duty to report on the death of Rachel Reich, who died at the age of 38 after a battle with cancer that lasted more than two years. I first met Rachel in the summer of 2005, when someone suggested I let people know about a fundraiser that was being held for her. It didn't take long to realize there was a larger story here. Her cancer was diagnosed not long after she found out she was pregnant with her daughter Siera. Rachel said her doctors suggested immediate treatment for the cancer but said the treatment would create risks for the unborn baby. She decided to wait on the treatment, fight the cancer with herbal remedies in the meantime, then fight the cancer all-out after the baby was born. She knew her decision would give the cancer time to spread, but she felt she was doing the best for her baby.

I probably heard more from readers about this story than any other since I've been at the Journal. There were some who disagreed with the way she fought the cancer and the way she spent the money she raised. But even most of those people said they appreciated the sacrifices she made for her family.

I had the chance to interview her several times, sometimes just over the phone, sometimes at her family's small house in Lewisville. Some of those interviews could be difficult - the cancer in her mouth made her difficult to understand, and she sometimes barely had enough energy to discuss her struggle. In those conversations - which usually included Journal photographer Jason Arthurs - she was very candid about how sick she was feeling but also how she felt she could fight on. Her boundless conviction that she was doing the right thing made you believe in her and pull for her.