Her Story, A Story of Cancer and the Will to Survive
By: Jose G. Landa, Copyright 2014, Eagle Pass Business Journal, Inc.
Her story can be felt by many within any community. From women to men, the tragic news that one or a loved one has Cancer is often perceived as a death sentence. But, what if, that very disease that has invaded your body to weaken you and often times to take your life is the very thing that makes you stronger in the end.
Lara Maldonado is just like each and every one of us who go through life trying to achieve dreams and fulfilling our very own commitments to oneself on what we think is our path to destiny. There is no difference in her life to many but sometime ago she was given the news that turned her life upside down as she was diagnosed with Serous Carcinoma Ovarian Cancer.
During the time of her diagnosis many mixed emotions justifiably arose in her mind as she began to prepare for the greatest fight of her life, a fight against Cancer and a will to survive it.
Questions such as why me? Why at such a young age? quickly came to mind as Lara began to concentrate her not becoming a victim and just another statistical number in the realities of Cancer mortality rates.
“When going through cancer treatment, your immune system takes a hit, so going out to places with a lot of people and kids is not a good idea. So I found a source of therapy on a daily basis to help pass time. So that’s when I turned to Instagram and did a hashtag (#) search on: “#ovariancancer” and I was instantly connected to young women, just like me, struggling with this illness and at a young age. The mere fact, that I wasn’t the only young person fighting this battle against cancer was a huge relief to me. It provided me with great strength to get through the day that allowed me to keep on with my treatments. The daily words of encouragement from fellow cancer survivors and warriors through Instagram and Facebook helped me through my hard times, because they truly understood how I felt. I also had so much love and help from my amazing husband and loving family who have been there for me every step of the way. I looked for help from foundations and different Coalitions such as Livestrong, National Ovarian Cancer Coalition, and American Cancer Society. Since then I have helped raise awareness to friends and family by using the social media. I have been able to connect with people I would have never known if it weren’t for the new technology we have at our finger tips. I also got to meet two other young women like me who grew up in Eagle Pass and moved to Austin. One of them Zully
Ysaguirre, who was diagnosed with stomach cancer, and Angela Murray Fuller, who was diagnosed with Non Hodgkins Lymphoma, around the same time I got diagnosed with Serous Carcinoma Ovarian Cancer. Angela and I both got to share our story about our battle with Cancer for a Film named Her Story, which I had found on Facebook. I can leave you with this, don’t be afraid to reach out to others whether its friends, family, group therapy, and the internet and accept peoples help, because your battle with cancer is a tough road and you can’t do it alone. In turn, you will inspire others and they will inspire you to keep on fighting and surviving! You can find my battle on Instagram by searching the hashtag #larastrong. Keep Fighting and Stay Positive!” said Lara Maldonado.
Lara has created a Facebook page called Eagle Pass will fight Cancer to create an avenue of contact for people afflicted by Cancer to be able to connect with each other, for moral support. This page will also allow anyone to talk about their ordeals and exchange information and news on Cancer and treatments as well.
“We must make it known that we are not alone in our fight,” said Lara Maldonado.
The reality of Cancer afflicting so many people at younger ages is a reality of great concern which raises the question, Why?
Ask yourself the question, Do I know someone who is fighting a battle against Cancer at this very moment?, and often times, the answer is yes. Now ask yourself the questions, Why? and Am I at risk?
According to the National Cancer Institute, nearly 70,000 people between ages 15 and 39 (collectively called AYAs) are diagnosed with cancer each year. Cancer kills more people in the Adolescent Young Adult age group than any other disease. Adolescents and young adults aged 15 to 39 are much more likely to be diagnosed with cancer than children under the age of 15. The most common types of cancer seen in adolescents and young adults are lymphoma, leukemia, germ cell tumors (including testicular cancer), melanoma, central nervous system tumors, sarcomas, and breast, cervical, liver, thyroid, and colorectal cancers.
Every eight minutes a young person is diagnosed with Cancer. That’s over 70,000 people between the ages of 20 to 30 each year according to information from Young Texans Against Cancer.
“I would Love to help raise awareness about cancer, especially to those that are afflicted at a young age. It is, sadly, becoming more prevalent with our millennial generation and there needs to be a united voice…that voice is social media. If there’s one takeaway from my experience, it’s that I’m not alone in my battle against cancer. When I decided to start reaching out to others on Instagram I found a whole circle of woman and men my age battling cancer who are sharing their story via social media,” added Lara Maldonado.
On May 19, 2014, Lara Maldonado together with her husband, Jose, rang the bell to close a chapter in her life as she received her last chemo therapy treatment session. She remains positively in fighting Cancer and bring awareness to the ailment that attacked her body. Lara Strong, and that is her story.
A few days before publishing this article, we received the sad news from Lara Maldonado that her friend, Eagle Passan Zully Ysaguirre, had lost her strong fight against Cancer.
Our condolences go out to Zully Ysaguirre’s family and loved ones, Godspeed.
