The month of October has a special place in my heart. Not only is pink my favorite color, it has become a color that represents my mother and one of the hardest things she has overcome in her lifetime. I was 15 years old when my mom was diagnosed with stage-three breast cancer. I knew nothing about the disease, except that it had no cure. I soon learned that my mom would have to go through months of treatment until she was healthy along, as well as a double mastectomy to ensure that the cancer would not spread to other places in her body.
I was scared. My whole family lived in fear, but we tried to remain as positive as possible. We didn’t really talk about her cancer much, because my mom didn’t want to. Throughout her whole battle, my mom courageously did her best to make sure that her disease didn’t affect her children’s lives. I can’t remember a single time when my mom complained about having to go to hours of chemo treatments or drive to the hospital daily for radiation. She made it seem normal and like nothing was wrong, which helped us cope with her being sick. Looking back, I am truly amazed at how strong my mother was.
Another thing that helped us cope with her cancer was the outstanding support of our family and friends. For people that know my mom, they know that it is almost impossible for her to ask for help. She likes being the person to help others and is always ready to go the extra mile to ensure that the needs of her family and friends are met. I think one of the hardest things for her during her battle was getting used to people wanting to help her. When my mom told people she had been diagnosed, the amount of help people wanted to offer was overwhelming. For the months we had dinner prepared for us by different family friends. So many people banned together to help us, which showed how much support our family truly had. It helped our family not feel so alone, because everyone was rooting for my mom. Everyday at school my teachers would ask how she was doing and how I was doing. The kindness we received was invaluable.
(My mother & I)
When I think about October and breast cancer awareness month, I think about all the people who went out of their way to help my family. While it’s good to spread awareness and raise money to find a cure, it is also good to make sure that you have people around you in your life who will be willing to help in times of need. It is also important to thank the ones that have helped you get through the hard times. No one knows when something bad is going to affect them, and it is scary to think that after one simple doctors appointment, your life could be forever changed. It is important to remain optimistic and make the best of every situation, no matter how sucky it is. I can confidently say that my family used optimism and humor to get through the situation, along with the support of our community.
Yes, the month of October is important for breast cancer awareness and thousands of dollars are raised to find a cure, but we should be mindful of those affected with cancer everyday of the year. Start today by reaching out to loved ones who have fought a disease and be thankful they fought so hard to be able to stay in your life.