As my Mother was fighting for her life receiving treatment for small cell lung cancer, I noticed a lump in my right breast. Knowing how Cancer has run rampant throughout my family, I was concerned. Although no one has had breast cancer, there were many other cancer diagnoses through the years. I immediately went for a routine mammography along with my sister. We first received the call that Mom's cancer had spread into her lymph nodes. Then both my sister and I had something suspicious on our mammograms and needed additional testing. I am so thankful to God that my sister's came out benign but mine was definitely Breast Cancer. I followed up with all necessary testing and scheduled for a Lumpectomy. I was diagnosed with stage 2b Invasive Ductal Carcinoma, aggressive grade 3 with an Onco type score of 30. 7 days after my lumpectomy my Mom was given her Angel Wings and taken home to heaven to live pain free. I cannot explain how I did it, after losing my Mom, my best friend and person who gave me strength and stood by me throughout my life... I made it through 16 rounds of chemotherapy and 33 radiation treatments. I kept my head held high and remained positive throughout my entire treatment. You see, I have a 10 year old Juvenile Diabetic Son, I am a single, full time working Mom and my son is my life, my heart, my everything. I refused to allow him to see me sick. He just lost his grandma and watched her sick. I wouldn't do that to him. I worked through and completed my entire treatment and have never looked back. I pray for every person whose life is touched by breast cancer or any other cancer and continue to remain positive that I will be free, healed and cured... I am a survivor and I am Thankful to God everyday for all the blessings he has given to me ♥ I love and miss my Mom and I know she is proud of the woman I have become.

Dawn Laveroni
Franklin Square, NY