Allow me to vividly illustrate my mom’s journey with breast cancer. She was embracing life to the fullest, cherishing her new role as a grandmother when everything changed in an instant. Although she had always been diligent with regular mammograms, one day, during a self-breast examination in the shower, she discovered a lump.

Shocked and with a strong family history of breast cancer, she immediately came to me for support. Despite her scheduled mammogram being a year away, she took proactive measures and underwent the test. Unfortunately, the results revealed a suspicious lesion, causing our hearts to sink with sadness and fear. A subsequent biopsy confirmed that she had triple-negative breast cancer, the most aggressive form. To our dismay, both she and I tested positive for the breast cancer mutation.

Bravely, my mom chose to face this battle head-on. She opted for an aggressive treatment plan, which included a double mastectomy, chemotherapy, and radiation. Fueled by her unwavering determination to fight for her family, she was willing to do whatever it took to overcome this challenging journey. 

Throughout her numerous procedures, my mom displayed incredible strength and resilience. She never complained and always maintained a positive outlook. However, the loss of her breasts after the mastectomy deeply affected her sense of self, leaving her feeling diminished. For weeks, I tended to her wounds from the surgery, witnessing the emotional toll it took on her. Following the mastectomy, my mom underwent a PET scan. Unfortunately, the initial dismissal by a pulmonologist took a tragic turn when the biopsy revealed the transformation of metastatic breast cancer.

Despite this devastating news, we refused to give up. We traveled to different parts of the United States, seeking advice and treatment from various specialists. Our entire family held onto hope, grasping at any help the doctors could offer. Despite our relentless efforts and multiple treatments, the cancer metastasized rapidly. Within a year, it had spread to her brain, spinal cord, liver, lungs, bones, and adrenal glands. When the breast cancer metastasized to her brain, she opted for whole-brain radiation in an attempt to gain more time with her family.

Losing her hair during this process further deepened her sense of loss. My mom had always possessed dark, healthy, and shiny hair, and finding a wig that made her feel beautiful and like herself proved challenging. Additionally, due to the stage of her cancer, she was informed that breast reconstruction would not be possible, which left her heartbroken.

Despite being fully aware of the grim outlook she faced, my mom’s actions reflected the incredible woman she was – a loving mother and grandmother. Even amidst her own struggles, she reached out to a friend at a local card shop and requested boxes of cards to be brought to our house, where my family and I cared for her.

Her goal was to have a written birthday card for my son, who was five years old at the time, for the next 50 birthdays. And she accomplished just that. Every single day, she worked tirelessly toward her goal, hand-writing a heartfelt note inside 50 birthday cards for Jax. Her foresight was truly remarkable. She even left cards for graduations, a future wedding, and even for my son’s first Father’s Day when he would become a dad. She also left behind birthday, Mother’s Day (for me), Valentine’s, Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas cards, dating each one for us to open and discover her handwritten message.

Despite her physical limitations – not being able to walk, wearing an eyepatch due to brain tumors, and enduring constant headaches – she never wavered in her determination to complete this task for her family. Hundreds of personalized cards, each one dated and written in by my mom, signed with her signature heart and name, are now safely tucked away. This is a testament to her thoughtfulness and unwavering determination. She was brave and beautiful.