Cancer is hands down one of the cruelest diseases in the world. This year alone 1,735,350 people will be diagnosed with some form of cancer in the United States, and 609,640 people will die from it. This is just the United States alone...Finding the cure should be one of the first priorities for oncologists. This disease has persisted for much too long, and the cure needs to be found.

I was 15 years old when my dad called me downstairs to talk. I knew mom was sick because she had been locked in her room for almost a week. My dad hesitated, not knowing what to say, when finally he just stated the inevitable "Danielle, your mom has Breast Cancer." I never in my life thought that I would hear these words. I immediately felt my body going into shock. I couldn't believe that my mother, my beautiful and healthy mother, had cancer. My dad then started going over what would happen in the coming months: chemotherapy, radiation, surgery, and possibly clinical trials. He also explained that I would need to carry my own weight around the house (cleaning, cooking, figuring out my own homework), because my mother was going to have to be the first priority.

Falling asleep that night was absolutely impossible. I tossed and turned all night, trying to push out one single and horrible thought from my mind, "Is my mom going to die?" I couldn't stop imagining what life would be like without her. My mom was, and always has been, my best friend. I always went to her first when I had any problem or was upset, in any way. She always knew how to bring me back down to Earth when my thoughts were in the clouds. Who would take me to track practice? Who would be there to talk about boy problems? Of course, I had my brother, sister, and dad, but absolutely no one in this world could replace a mother, let alone my mother.

When my mom started chemo, it had to be one of the hardest times of my life. First off, we had to shave her head and go scarf shopping. I went with her a few times to her chemotherapy treatments at the cancer center, and it had to be the toughest part. I saw how weak she instantly was as soon as the chemo hit her bloodstream. I remember seeing how pale and cold she would get within moments. I remember trying to hold back tears and be strong because if I broke down, it would only make things worse.

Even though my mother was weak and sick, she did not let it stop her from being a mother. She was at every one of my home track meets that season, bundled up in the stands, cheering. She didn't miss very much, as she tried so hard to normalize things. Of course, the family was absolutely devastated, but she tried so hard to be brave, and she was. If it were me, I would have never been able to have that amount of strength in such a terrifying time. There were a lot of lows, and there was a lot of sicknesses, but she remarkably stayed strong through it all.

This impacted me in ways some people could only imagine. My grades slipped, my depression and anxiety hit an all-time low, and I became distant with some of the people closest to me; I felt like I was drowning. I never wanted to go to school or track practice. My depression had consumed my life, but I had to try my best to stay strong. Life was so scary, and I really wasn't sure what was going to happen. I was overall an extremely angry person at this time. I was mad at the world, and God, for what happened. Out of everyone in the world, why did my mother have cancer? As a teenager, it was a very hard time in general, let alone having a mother with cancer.

As the years dragged on, finally my mother finished radiation, chemotherapy, and clinical trials multiple times. After the biopsies that seemed like they would never end, and the horrible treatments that dragged on, finally my mom was cancer free. This had to be one of the happiest days of my life. Finally, my mom was healthy and safe again, she had won her battle! Of course, this didn't mean that it was completely over, there was still remission.

Through this process, I learned so many life lessons: Always get checked regularly for cancers, male or female, never ever take anyone in your life for granted, be strong and fight always and remember to never give up, and know that at the end of the day God and your family are the ones that will be there for your without fail.

This one is for you mom, I love you. You are the bravest and strongest person I know.