lock out cancer women's campaign- chersky chan's journey
Written by Julianna Bonnett
At 32 years old, ambassador Chersky Chan found out she had been diagnosed with breast cancer while on maternity leave with her youngest child. While playing with her son in his bedroom, she received a phone call from her doctor with the news.
“I cried and cried, then went completely numb as I held our son a little tighter as if time was running out,” she shares.
As a nurse, Chan found going through cancer treatments different due to her occupation.
“I’m usually on the other side of things working as a nurse but to be the patient this time around was something that I was not prepared for,” she explains. “I kept thinking I’m supposed to be the one caring for my patients, my family and not the other way around. Being a mom while going through treatments was so hard.”
With each session, she found herself getting weaker to the point where she was struggling to balance it all.
“There were times I remember waking up after sleeping for days in the middle of the night just crying. I even wanted to call a quits because it was so hard mentally and physically and I felt like I couldn’t handle it,” she says. “I found strength in everyone that kept pushing me through, my friends, my coworkers, my little family, and especially my kids. They are my reason that keeps me going every single day.”
Chan explains that after battling cancer, she feels like her journey is still ongoing.
“Now, I am learning to slow things down, cherishing the little moments in life more. When I was diagnosed, I found comfort in reading other stories of people who went through it as well,”she says. “My hope is that my story will help someone else too because it was those stories that helped me feel less alone. As well, I have to give credit to all the staff at the cancer center, the love and support of my family and friends, and even people that I crossed paths with along the way. I feel that everyone played a role in my journey and for that I’m forever grateful.”
When asked what empowers her daily, Chan shares that one quote changed her mind set on things.
“The quote, I am a statistic of one,” she states. “It gives me strength and hope knowing that I am blazing my own trail as I manage my way through cancer. No two cancers are alike, and it is easy to get caught up in all the statistics, so I tell myself this to keep me positive.”
For more information and to donate to Lock Out Cancer,
visit www.LockOutCancer.com
At 32 years old, ambassador Chersky Chan found out she had been diagnosed with breast cancer while on maternity leave with her youngest child. While playing with her son in his bedroom, she received a phone call from her doctor with the news.
“I cried and cried, then went completely numb as I held our son a little tighter as if time was running out,” she shares.
As a nurse, Chan found going through cancer treatments different due to her occupation.
“I’m usually on the other side of things working as a nurse but to be the patient this time around was something that I was not prepared for,” she explains. “I kept thinking I’m supposed to be the one caring for my patients, my family and not the other way around. Being a mom while going through treatments was so hard.”
With each session, she found herself getting weaker to the point where she was struggling to balance it all.
“There were times I remember waking up after sleeping for days in the middle of the night just crying. I even wanted to call a quits because it was so hard mentally and physically and I felt like I couldn’t handle it,” she says. “I found strength in everyone that kept pushing me through, my friends, my coworkers, my little family, and especially my kids. They are my reason that keeps me going every single day.”
Chan explains that after battling cancer, she feels like her journey is still ongoing.
“Now, I am learning to slow things down, cherishing the little moments in life more. When I was diagnosed, I found comfort in reading other stories of people who went through it as well,”she says. “My hope is that my story will help someone else too because it was those stories that helped me feel less alone. As well, I have to give credit to all the staff at the cancer center, the love and support of my family and friends, and even people that I crossed paths with along the way. I feel that everyone played a role in my journey and for that I’m forever grateful.”
When asked what empowers her daily, Chan shares that one quote changed her mind set on things.
“The quote, I am a statistic of one,” she states. “It gives me strength and hope knowing that I am blazing my own trail as I manage my way through cancer. No two cancers are alike, and it is easy to get caught up in all the statistics, so I tell myself this to keep me positive.”
For more information and to donate to Lock Out Cancer,
visit www.LockOutCancer.com
