b'After recovering from surgery, Marys plan forGet the mammogram, get the diagnostic tests. There are so many treatment included chemotherapy. The hardest partcompassionate way that she was given. advancements in the fight against cancer. Give yourself the best chance if you find yourself in this awful club. for her was losing her hair. It was a control thing, because once she lost her hair, it was no longer her choice to share with people. They knew she was sick.As she went through treatments, her high schoolAnd now that she has completed her treatment and is friend, Sandy, became her go-to person. Sandysa survivor, shes supporting others along their journey daughter was battling cancer in the Bay Area as well. as a patient ambassador at the HonorHealth Cancer Center. Her objective: giving back in the same caring, All of the people close to me; I could see how badly they wanted me to be OK. These were all people IMarys message is simple, Get the mammogram, get loved so much. With Sandy, I could just be truthfulthe diagnostic tests. There are so many advancements about how much this whole process stunk. She savedin the fight against cancer. Give yourself the best chance me.I had such a tribe of people. They showed up andif you find yourself in this awful club. I became an cleaned and cooked.Or truly just sat with me. HonorHealth patient ambassador because I know how Mary continues, The support in the chemo chair ismuch cancer survivors helped me. On the days I felt like I unlike any other. Everyone is fighting a battle andcouldnt muster up any strength, there always seemed to the camaraderie cannot be explained. Cancer doesbe someone cheering me on or lifting me up.not discriminate based on social standing, race orAs she reflects on her journey, Mary knows that breast religion. If you are in that room, you all feel the love forcancer may have marked her life, but it did not define everyone else. it. Through all the trials, she discovered a wellspring HER GIVING SPIRIT of strength, not just within herself, but in the love of Two years later, Mary is healthy. She shows no sign ofthose who stood by her side.residual cancer, but still needs monthly bloodworkToday, Mary shines as a beacon of hope, a reminder that and tests. And through it all, she continues to keep hereven in the darkest of times, there is light to be found. face to the sun. Her journey is a powerful testament to the indomitable human spirit and the unyielding belief that life, even in its most challenging moments, is a gift worth fighting for.8 HonorHealth Foundation Magazine'