By a Warrior's Daughter

Together in good and bad:
Mamang and Papang enjoying their moments
a year after the cancer diagnosis

"I just want to let you know that your mother was diagnosed with breast cancer. Let's all be strong and pray for her." 

I could hear the tremble in my father's voice on the other side of the line while I tried to absorb the the truth of what he shared. No, it couldn't be Mamang. It just couldn't be true. 

Carmelita, my mother is a powerhouse just by herself. Coming from the rigid and proud Ilocandia, in her blood flows the strict discipline of our ancestors. This entails hard work and perfection in everything you do and everything you have and hope to achieve. And to be able to do this, one must put his or her health on the pedestal. Hence, Ilocanos are known for their excessive regard for strong body, sharp mind and relentless spirit. 

To know that our home's source of strength and stability was diagnosed with stage two breast cancer was a fact that I couldn't understand and accept at that time. But as my father related to me that when my mother was rolled out of the operating room after her mastectomy sobbing in pain, I was reminded that even warriors get wounded and humbled in the fight.

It was indeed a tumultuous battle for my mother. I remembered the moment when she was hesitant to undergo mastectomy to remove the affected breast. The fear to go under the knife for the first time was understandable but it was also a significant turning point in her life when her relentless resolve was a necessity. 

As we await her decision, we needed to remind ourselves that it was first and foremost her own battle and that we should take a step back from telling her what to do. In effect, it was challenging dilemma for us. We wanted her to undergo mastectomy but at the end of the day, it was a decision she could only make. 

But as Vaclav Havel in his poem shared, hope is the quality of the soul and does not depend on the outside world. It is the direction of the spirit and the direction of the heart. 

It was that one warm morning in March 2010 that we realized the ferocity of our mother's determination to fight. We received a message from here that made us hope once again.  

It read, "I have decided to undergo the operation. I have decided to live more." 

On December 11, 2012, my mother turned sixty-six and cancer-free. After two years, she continues to live strong and inspiring more people to take the power back with regards to their health and their well-being. 

The warrior had finally risen to win the battle. 

Two years after the mastectomy, Mamang basks in the love
and company of family

She is, however not alone. She had mentored and inspired thousands of students in her life including us, her children, her nieces and nephews and her grandchildren. The boundless passion and determination to be the best that one can be have been stamped in the hearts and minds of those lives she has touched.

The world is filled with people who strive to pursue their dreams. We are the warriors of our time; getting better and better day by day.