The story is an all too familiar one these days. Life is just starting to level out and then….the uninvited guest, cancer. Inspiration comes in many forms, sometimes with an ever-present smile.   Meet our close friend Milagros ‘Millie’ Teresa Ramon Rodriguez.   How’s that for a mouthful?   Millie caught a boat from Cuba in 1994 when she was 22 and headed for America.   OK…it was a raft.   Intercepted by the US Coast Guard about 35 miles from the US coastline she was detained at Guantanamo Bay for a year and half before being granted refugee status.  Grateful for her chance at a new life she worked three jobs in the early years trying to save enough for a house.  Not only did she manage to buy a modest home but she worked through the system to bring her mother to the US shortly thereafter.   Eight years ago she was blessed with daughter Anna-Sophia, smart, beautiful and possessing the same drive and attitude as her mother.  More recently Millie became a naturalized US Citizen.  Three days prior to that though was when she found out she had cancer.  Not the sort of welcome she was hoping for.  Having faced dismal situations before she’s not about to back down now.  Her opponent is a very aggressive form of breast cancer that will require months of chemo with possible surgery and radiation to follow.  She’s independently employed so her treatments affect not only her ability to work a normal schedule but also her financial well-being.  As her friends it’s incumbent upon us to do all we can to ensure her success, hence this gofundme page that my wife Kathy and I have started on her behalf.  You’d be hard pressed to find a better person or one that is deserving of a helping hand.  Lend her yours if you can.  Many thanks and may God bless you and your loved ones.