My name is Keya. What an honor to share my story with you. My prayer is that somewhere along the line of my story, you will feel hope and strength.

They say time flies when you are having fun. I would like to say time has flown because my life has been a blast, full of laughter and health, yet looking back it is hard to believe that five years ago, my life was drastically changed forever because of that moment where time stood still and life seemed hopeless.

Cancer doesn’t care what color or creed you are

Two years after the birth of my first daughter I discovered a lump in my right breast through self-examination. My doctor advised me to have it biopsied. I was twenty-eight-years-old at that time. Thankfully, the result was benign.

Five years later, after the birth of my second daughter, I discovered that once again I had a lump in my left breast. This time, the lump was the size of a grape. My doctor requested that I have a mammogram and biopsy done. It was then that I learned I had stage 2 breast cancer. I was just 33-years-old.

A year after giving birth to her son, George, Rika Cargill found out that she had breast cancer.

“My breast became very hard, swollen and unbearably painful. I was told by a doctor that it was just a blocked milk gland and my breast just needed to be cut and drained,” said the 35-year-old mother of three.

“I got that done and a few weeks after the swelling, the pain got worse.” Cargill immediately returned to the hospital and underwent a biopsy.The results came back positive. She had stage 3 breast cancer.

2009– I was diagnosed with Breast Cancer after a self- examination, doctor visit, second opinion, mammogram, ultrasound and biopsy. . in one breast. Within a very short period, the aggressive cancer had spread to the other breast.

‘Three months later, surgery was performed and I felt as if I was free of Stage 3 Cancer. Chemotherapy was not my best friend; it was truly very difficult for me and took a toll but I was not ready to give up because I came too far by faith. I endured

I had been diagnosed with Stage 4 Breast Cancer facing a 20% survival rate within the first five years after diagnosis. To me, it was a medical terminology and at 34, I was going to win this battle. With quiet assuredness from my conversations with God, my initial six chemotherapy and 26 radiation treatments started.

November 2006 – After a bone scan follow up, there was still active cancer cells, which required me to have weekly chemotherapy for 10 weeks throughout the holiday period

2005: “Your test results are here. The doctor wants to see you as soon as possible. Bring your daughter with you.” Somehow I knew and, with the mini counseling session provided by my doctor prior to the mammogram, I had the basis of strength to cushion me through the next traumatic months.

“Your test results are not good. They came back positive.”

Reaction: Dismay, fear, uncertainty, miscalculation, technical error. These were quickly replaced with confidence with the doctor, medical facilities and personnel and my continued strength in God.

I believe in the word and I am a survivor because Of my faith in the word.

In a span of two years, a lump was found in my left breast, I had a mammogram, the lump was removed, and I had a mastectomy. These events unfolded quickly. My support group, my family and friends continued to pray and believe for my healing.

I am close to a seven-year breast cancer survivor.

In late 2006, as a part of my annual physical procedure, I underwent a mammogram, which resulted in a biopsy. Ten days later, I was diagnosed with Stage 3 Breast Cancer and recommended to have an immediate mastectomy.. the day of the first anniversary of my husband’s death; it was later rescheduled to mid-December. Sixteen lymph nodes

I was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2010. After having a mammogram in 2009, and not being due for another one for atleast six months, I found a lump after self-examination. Upon checking it out, I was told that it was cancer. That day my life stopped and even though I had been diagnosed with a brain tumor some twenty years before, and had had it taken care of, I was so afraid of the “C” word.

“BUT GOD”

Just after I had left the doctor’s office, I met two members from my church. They looked at me and saw