My name is Samia and recently my world has been turned upside down. Three words nobody ever wants to hear, yet are words we hear too often. Metastatic Breast Cancer. My mom, Samar has been recently diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer. We heard these crushing words at a time we should have been celebrating my medical school acceptance. My parents sacrificed so much for me to get to this point. They immigrated to the United States from Lebanon, a third-world country burdened with frequent wars and political unrest, to provide a better life for me and give me opportunities they never had. And they did. Their sacrifice paid off.

But instead of being happy and proud parents, we are driving to doctor’s appointments, planning chemotherapy and trying to navigate our new world. My mom has been in and out of the hospital after a bad reaction to chemotherapy. She had to miss a lot of work and physically isn’t capable of working as many shifts at Publix as she used to. My dad works at Publix too and is doing his best to keep up with the rent, basic necessities and new medical bills, but it isn’t enough. I find myself feeling helpless and wish I could do more. If you are able to, I kindly ask that you help us during these hard times. Thank you.