Hello, my name is Diana, and it breaks my heart to be writing these words for my sister, Maria. What began as what seemed like harmless heart flutters in October quickly turned our lives upside down. Those early symptoms led to a 22-day hospital stay in November and ultimately to open-heart surgery to remove a tumor that had overtaken her right atrium.

We were devastated to learn it was an aggressive and incredibly rare cancer—epithelial angiosarcoma, affecting 1 in a million people.

Maria is still recovering from the trauma of surgery, and yet, the hardest part of her journey still lies ahead. Chemotherapy and possibly radiation are next!

Through it all, Maria continues to show unimaginable courage. Our family is holding on to hope, love, and faith as we walk beside her through this battle no one ever expects to face.