Donna, USA

In October of 2019, I was due for my routine mammogram, and the doctor at the time said she found an area that was concerning. About a week later, they did a biopsy and asked me, "Would you like us to call you with the results?"

But I was honestly a little bit too nervous and overwhelmed, and I asked them to call my husband. One day, he came home from work early, and I knew something was not right—I knew something was wrong. He said, "I need to talk to you," and I knew that I had cancer.

My immediate thoughts went to my children—my daughter and my son— I didn't know what was going to happen at that point.

I was very lucky that we caught the cancer early.

I was told about the Survivorship Program at Sylvester during my initial treatment, and I just threw myself at all the different options that were available.

Cancer really has impacted me. It gave me a sense of community with the other patients that were there. We all supported each other, we all pushed each other to do better and to be stronger.

The lifestyle changes that I've made since my diagnosis have made me feel healthier, fitter, and happier. Every morning, I go for my morning walk. It really helps me both physically and mentally. I've always been a health-conscious person, but in the last few years, I really stepped it up—and I feel better than I ever have.

Ironically, I don't think that I would feel this fit and healthy if I was not diagnosed with breast cancer five years ago. 

I do have it in the back of my mind about recurrence—but I'm doing everything that I can to prevent that from happening.

Being a cancer survivor to me means that I’m here and I’m living—and that I will do everything it takes to stay healthy and fit so I can be here for my family.

YouTube video "Creating and empowering survivors – Helping people with cancer create a new lifestyle", produced for Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, part of the University of Miami Health System, by BBC StoryWorks as part of the Rewriting Cancer series presented by the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC).