On December 14, 2011, my life shattered. I lost my mom from a long hard battle with breast cancer. It started in 1998 when she was diagnosed with Stage 4 Invasive Ductal Carcinoma. I was about 12 around at the time. My mom underwent chemo, radiation, and a stem cell transplant. She was in remission for 13 years when it came back in her other breast again as Stage 4. At that time it had spread into her bones and from there into her liver and, in the end, her brain. My mom is my hero. She fought so hard in this long battle and she never forgot to smile. I became my Mom's caretaker. I never missed a doctor's appointment or chemo treatment and in the end I had to make decisions for her that I never wanted to make. I'm 25 and I lost my mom, and my daughter lost her Granna, to breast cancer. My daughter was my Mom's world. She did everything for her and, me being a young mom, she helped me out and gave me a great foundation to be the mother I am today.

In February of 2011, I was in the shower and felt a lump. I immediately called my Mom's oncologist who I had gotten to know very well. I had a biopsy and it came back cancerours - Stage 2 Invasive Ductal Carcinoma, the exact same cancer as my Mom. I caught it really early and all my lymph nodes came back clear. :) I decided to have bilateral mastectomies on March 28th due to my Mom's breast cancer coming back the second time; I will begin chemo in June. My daughter gets to watch me go up and down, never knowing if Mommy will feel ok that day. I will lose all my hair as my Mom did and I will have to explain to my 5 year old that I will not be going to heaven like Granna did.

I have an amazing fiance. He has helped me so much and I couldn't imagine my life without him or my daughter. My daughter is the best thing that could have ever happened to me and I just want to fight my hardest to be around for her later.