Edlâyne Santos Guimarães

My name is Edlâyne Santos Guimarães and I found out I had cancer at 43 years old
My cancer is called Invasive Lobular Carcinoma. In some good ways I believe that it made ​​most people rethink their lives, change attitudes, get closer.Some Bad things is Sometimes I focus on the uncertainty of life and the certainty of death, suffering for something that has not happened yet and may not even happen.
My out look on like is essence makes life worthwhile. Just the essential!

Some of the acheivments I have done is, when I saw the biopsy result I was alone and I felt very insecure, I thought of death and how would my family be, especially my two daughters. I was about 2 hours alone, I got myself together, asking God to guide me through this new situation and help me to understand what I should learn from this. Before long my heart felt safe and I got a strength that is supporting me and allowing me to win. (Winning does not necessarily mean not dying, but to learn, change and grow ...).
I also have read and learned a lot about my kind of cancer


This is my very best friend Thais Rochelle Moura's Aunt, who just found out she had cancer. Thais is very family orianted and is making sure to help her aunt out in anyway she can. Thais is very loving and caring of those around her, I feel like her aunt is part of my family because Thais and I are like sister and share with each other everything! So to hear about her aunt and what she is going through is really hard. I researched the kind of cancer that Thais aunt has and this is what I found

Invasive lobular carcinoma is a type of breast cancer that begins in the milk-producing glands (lobules) of the breast. Invasive lobular carcinoma is invasive cancer, which means the cancer cells have broken out of the lobule where they began and they have the potential to spread to other areas of the body.
Invasive lobular carcinoma makes up a small portion of all breast cancers. The most common type of breast cancer begins in the breast ducts (ductal carcinoma). Some breast cancers contain both lobular and ductal cancer cells.
Invasive lobular carcinoma typically doesn't form a lump, as most women expect with breast cancer. Instead, invasive lobular carcinoma more often causes a thickening of the tissue or fullness in one part of the breast.
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/invasive-lobular-carcinoma/DS01063

McKenna Beckstead

My name is McKenna Beckstead I was 13 1/2 when I found out I had cancer.
I couldn't go to public school, which i was going to start at the time instead of private school. (going to 8th grade) and i was stuck at home a lot of the time. when i saw friends it was because they came to visit me so I didn't go out much. I got to get the chance to get closer to my family (mainly my mom, because we used to fight all the time and i had a bad relationship with her, but now we're close) I got to find out who my true friends were and who cared about me the most (which was my friend Lauren Christiansen) I had ALL Leukemia.....
It affected my family because they were really scared at first for the first few weeks that I would die. Also a lot of the attention was centered on me and my siblings got a little jealous at times. Our family got closer because we spent a lot of time together because I was always stuck at home and my mom and dad didn't go on dates that much for a long time (but now they do again) because I was throwing up a lot and they didn't want to leave me home.
my outlook on life now is more positive because I know that things could always be worse and especially for volleyball when we're working out I know that it's painful right now but I can get through it.
*also one of the hardest parts was when I lost my hair and that was devastating. It made me feel really ugly and i couldn't stand looking in the mirror for the longest time. I lost it when I was almost done with the hair loss drugs(the last week) and thought that I really wasn't going to loose my hair so it made me so sad when I did:( it's still kinda short now, so still going through that process...

Nicole Specht

My Name is Nicole Specht, I was 18 years old when I got cancer. I was a senior in High School, and I hated my life so much. It was so shocking that something this terrible could happen. Now I look at life as a positive thing, like live each day as your last. never take anything for granted.
I had stage II Hodgkins Lymphoma
My family was there every time I had Chemotherapy, My mother was always there for my side effects when I got home.
I look at life as being a good thing, like you never know when your gonna die, and who knows that could be my last chance. What if next time I don't get another opportunity.
I learned who my real friends were, the ones who made an effort to help me out in school or when I was sick, the ones who cared about how I was doing. I learned how to become a stronger and more independent women.
I have completed 3 triathlons, I am working on my 5th and 6th on in the next two weeks. I have raised over $2000 towards the LLS ( Leukemia & Lymphoma Society) towards my Triathlon that I will be doing in two weeks. I have graduated high school and I am in my 3rd year of college. I have moved out and got a place on my own. I continue to travel with my friends and family to different places. I got my scuba diving license, and I tried paint balling for the first time. I try to do stuff that I never tried before in life.


Ms. Nicole and I have been friends for almost 2 years now, and she is definitely someone I look up too. Her drive for life and to accomplish things that I wish I could do, amazes me. She makes me want to become more fit and to exersize more! She is super fun and filled with so much energy! Her and I always have something to talk about and always have fun no matter if its at work, working out or just hanging out! I have truly come to cherish her friendship!

Chelsie Whitney

My name is Chelsie Whitney. I was 15 when I was diagnoised with Osteosarcoma of the left tibia.
My family struggled at first with my diagnoises. A lot of changes had to be made in schedules, plans and life in general. But all in all, it brought us closer together. My mom is now my best friend.
February marks five years since I started my cancer journey. February 2nd was the five year mark of my diagnoses. February 12th was the five year mark of my first chemo. and February 14th was the five year mark of the end of my first chemo. I have learned through my experiences that cancer sucks. but cancer also knows true love,compassion. generosity. intensity. kindness. cancer knows how to bring people together
and how to teach the most unsuspecting 15 year old girl how life is so fragile and so beautiful and to never take it for granted. Cancer knows no borders. it will reach out and touch countless lives. it has changed mine. and I am so grateful for it. I have learned through cancer that I will never know what life is going to throw at me. It will through a lot of things. Some come slow and with time and knowledge, some blindside me on some idle Friday morning. That is the way life is. It will not slow down for anyone or anything; time and people and space, it'll all keep moving anc changins and throwing things that I never see coming. So I live in the moment and for the moment. I live life to the fullest. I take a hold of this second chance I have to be alive, and I LIVE it. I take the long way home, I play in the rain and I tell people who I love that I love them all of the time.

Since Cancer, I am now in my third year of college, studying to become an English teacher. I am making solid plans to teach english in China next year. I have learned american sign language, I have become a photographer and I am learning how to speak spanish. All great things



Chelsie since I have met her has been full of spirit and inspiration! She always looks to god and has a huge heart!!! She is about to under go a major surgery on her leg and will not be able to walk for 5-6 months! She is strong and powerful, she is a survivor of Cancer!!!

The start of my project

So I got this great Idea for a project I have to do for DNA to make a blog of those that I know that have had cancer and what their story is! During this blog you will see hard ach, struggles, success and not so much success! I hope this blog will help those to be more aware and to see the impact that cancer has not only on the individual but the family that is connected to that individual! I hope you enjoy and grow to love those around you!
Shanel