Stage 4-breast cancer patient Juanita and her 8 year-old-daughter Alexis

Often time’s life seems to be unfair. For Juanita and Alexis, they looked at life and said, “We are going to make this the best that we can.” In 2008 Juanita was diagnosed with breast cancer and Alexis was just 2 years old. Within a year of being diagnosed they found themselves alone as Juanita’s husband left because he did not know how to handle it.

Juanita and Alexis persevered together and in 2009 the treatments worked and the cancer went away. As with cancer though, you never know when it will return. In 2010 it reappeared. Juanita now has stage 4 metastatic breast cancer. They have been facing this together and Juanita credits her daughter with giving her the strength that she needs.

We had the chance to sit with the two of them and talk about the journey that they have been on. “The doctors told me to be honest with her and that’s what I’ve done. When I was first diagnosed I told myself that I was going to make this the best year of her life. I feel like I did that,” Juanita said.

Through cancer walks, openly discussing what is going on with her treatments, and even letting young Alexis draw on her head after her hair fell out from the chemotherapy and they have made the very best of the journey that they have been on. They share a very special bond that you can just feel when in their presence.