On August 30th five years ago, I was diagnosed with advanced breast cancer.
I had a job, my husband had a job, and our children--a nine year-old boy and a five year-old girl--were enrolled in private school. We were not poor but my doctor assured me that we would be if I did not receive any help funding my treatment for Stage 4 breast cancer. He told me, "Carla, you're going to lose your house. You're going to lose your car. You're going to pile up a mountain of debt it would take you a lifetime to pay."
I had a job, my husband had a job, and our children--a nine year-old boy and a five year-old girl--were enrolled in private school. We were not poor but my doctor assured me that we would be if I did not receive any help funding my treatment for Stage 4 breast cancer. He told me, "Carla, you're going to lose your house. You're going to lose your car. You're going to pile up a mountain of debt it would take you a lifetime to pay."
I would have chosen to die rather than put my family through such an ordeal. But a friend put up the website, http://www.ourownlittleway.org/ and raised over US$20,000 to fund my treatment, that included 12 cycles of chemotherapy and 28 days of radiotherapy.
Today, I volunteer for ICanServe Foundation, Inc. which promotes early breast cancer detection among Filipina women, in gratitude to all my donors who gave of themselves and shared their resources to save my life.
Today, I volunteer for ICanServe Foundation, Inc. which promotes early breast cancer detection among Filipina women, in gratitude to all my donors who gave of themselves and shared their resources to save my life.
*Delivered to an audience of 500 on August 26 as part of the Powerful Digital Storytelling Workshop at the LIVESTRONG Global Cancer Summit in Dublin, Ireland.
