Undergraduate /
My mother had breast cancer/ COMMON APP [11]
I was only in the third grade when my mother discovered she had breast cancer. I did not understand what cancer meant, how my mother would be affected or how it could change me. As a young girl, I didn't realize the consequences of having cancer. As time passed and as my mother went through surgery and treatment, I was able to notice the changes in her appearance and her health. Some nights, she would sleep with me and we would have small talks. I remember her telling me that maybe one day she wouldn't be in my life anymore. I remember her asking me why she was chosen to have cancer. I remember her saying that she didn't feel like a real woman anymore.
What did she do to deserve this? Why did God have to put her through this obstacle? When would she get better? These were the questions that I asked myself over and over again. But eventually, I realized that having cancer was neither punishment nor fate. My mother having cancer was a lesson for my entire family. We learned that life is not about where we come from, how we look, or how much money we earn. Instead, life is about being grateful for everything we have, overcoming hurdles we face along the way and lending a hand to those in need.
Although I don't understand what it is like to be a cancer patient, I realize the hardships that they face. I learned that support from doctors, friends and family played an essential role to helping my mother overcome cancer. Hence, I was motivated to become someone who could help families that go through similar difficulties. When my mother had cancer, I realized that I had taken my health for granted. I told myself that I would learn to take care of myself as well as others. Nobody can avoid illness; however, we can take action to help those suffering from them.
I promised myself to be a person who could make a difference in someone's life when they experienced illness, self-doubt or hopelessness. In fact, her experience motivated me to become an oncologist. I realized that being able to instill positivity to people with cancer was a heroic act. Being able to save lives and prove that there is always hope for recovery through cancer has become my ambition. My mother's experience made me grateful for every oncologist who was able help their patients battle against cancer. It showed me that this is what I wanted to pursue in the future; I wanted to save people suffering from cancer just like the oncologist who saved my mother's life. I told myself that I would further my education and eventually become the oncologist that would take any cancer patient one step closer to victory; I told myself that I could create change for the better.
