“I was diagnosed with breast cancer close to three years ago. I just went to my doctor recently and got cleared. They tell me three is a big milestone for the type of cancer I had, which is ductal carcinoma triple negative. I was diagnosed in January of 2016. I scratched myself and felt this lump that seemed to have appeared overnight. I was sitting in the car with my son when I found it and he told me to call the doctor right away. I called and got an immediate appointment. As soon as the doctor examined me, I could tell it wasn’t good. I had surgery that February to remove the lump. It was Stage 2 and luckily, it hadn’t metastasized. I also went through chemotherapy and radiation and by that summer, I started to feel better. I wasn’t a YMCA member at that point, but my neighbor Donna (Peart) works at the Y and told me about the LIVESTRONG® program for cancer survivors. I started right after my last radiation treatment that August. I tried it, was able to get through the first two hours and I said ‘I can do this.’ I never missed a day the whole 12 weeks. I met other people – some younger than me and with a more severe diagnosis – who were so brave, hopeful and happy. It was inspiring. It helped being with other cancer survivors, knowing we’re in the same boat. I don’t know if I could have gotten through it without the help of the people around me.”