Elissa, United States

02-04-2025 is World Cancer Day !

What can I say about cancer besides that it sucks. Let me just say for myself it changed me for the better.  It let me know : how strong 💪 I could be, what’s really important in my life (God& Family), and to not take anything for granted. And most especially to live my life to the fullest.

Cancer also taught me to have Faith, and 
Hope that everything would turn  out well, Courage to keep fighting,  and that having a positive attitude helps your cancer journey immensely.

I didn’t hear I had cancer from a doctor or from my mom. I heard it from a voice in my head after I kept hearing my mom crying on the phone she was talking to my beautiful cousin Yaisa 💜 at the  time and she was wondering how she was going to tell me the news. I kept thinking in my head “ Why is my mom crying ? Aren’t I doing better now? What can be worse than having my intestines rupture and nearly dying.” And then the C word popped in my head “ I have cancer.” And my next thought was It’s just another battle that I have to fight. I definitely took the news differently than what my mom expected. She thought I was going to give up, but giving up was definitely not on my mind at that time.

I fought it (Non Hodgkin’s lymphoma cancer located in my liver) and  I won with the help of God, the doctors, chemo, my mom & my family & friends, and lots of 🙏 and humor & a positive attitude.

I’m 7 years in remission no cancer in my liver and I’m so grateful to God because he has truly blessed me and protected me all my life including and most especially during my cancer journey.

I light this 🕯in Honor of all cancer survivors, fighters, and for those that lost their life to cancer.