Breast cancer is a disease that impacts the lives of hundreds of thousands of people each year. According to the American Cancer Society, the estimated cases of breast cancer diagnoses in women for 2015 were 292,130 (including both invasive and non-invasive cases), and the estimation for cases in men fell at 2,350. Thankfully, with proper detection and treatment methods, the survival rates for breast cancer can be as high as 100 percent in certain stages, according to the American Cancer Society. However, not all are as fortunate, and for thousands, like my mother, the diagnosis of breast cancer can be but a stepping stone in a long journey of heartbreak. This is for those who fought valiantly, but have left us.

My mother received the news in 2002 that she was now one of the thousands of others that had been stricken with breast cancer. Our family was terrified and immediately feared the worse. However, my mother fought beautifully, and following her mastectomy and chemotherapy, we felt confident that she had successfully beaten the cancer. Yet a quiet warning from her oncologist lingered above our heads: "Breast cancer may not be the end; there is a chance that remission could only lead to further diagnosis of other cancers." Tragically, he was right, and less than a year into her remission, my mother passed away from liver melanoma.

My mother was not a rarity, and many men and women will find themselves devastated with the news that their breast cancer has metastasized and advanced following a period of remission. While not all will end the way my mother's case did, many will leave behind families that had hoped for the best. I think this is a reality that many should carry with them as they traverse through the painful journey of breast cancer, because it is so important to remain vigilant through the process and remain active in your survival!

While those of us who have lost mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers and friends find it hard to find the beauty in our loss, it is there! The loss of loved ones is what continues to stoke the fires of change in the fight against cancer. My mother is gone, but so many more will live on because of the tireless efforts of people who are determined to lose no one else! Fundraising and awareness campaigns for breast cancer have exploded, and it's now possible for anyone to be involved in the fight.

To others out there that have lost someone that they love because of this illness: turn those tears into action. Find awareness campaigns, support survivors, head your own fundraiser, donate to a research foundation, and if nothing else, don that pink ribbon proudly in honor of the one you've lost.

There is nothing that can ease the pain of losing someone, but the fact that millions around the world are fighting to put an end to breast cancer keeps my mother alive with me today. The fact that October is dedicated as Breast Cancer Awareness month is amazing and so necessary! From the people participating in fundraising events to the support from organizations like the NFL, it is inspiring to see how people from all different backgrounds can come together to help one another.

Every fight is a beautiful one, and whether it ends in victory or defeat, a person fighting breast cancer is a brave and strong soul. To the survivors, keep surviving! Never stop fighting, and continue to inspire us with your will to live and conquer! To those we have lost, to my mother, we miss you every single day. There is a hole you have left that could never be filled, but we will fight for change, and we will find a cure.