I am very grateful for the opportunity to be part of a group of badass women to knockout cancer on October 12th. 

I fight for my grandmother Stella, who was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in January 2020 and passed away in June the same year. She is the hardest and strongest fighter I know. 

She was the grand matriarch of our family–mother of six children, grandmother of twelve, and great-grandmother of four. Although our family is massive, her love was infinite. She made you feel so special. I lost count of the graduations she attended, family celebrations she hosted, and the endless hugs and kisses she had to give. Her favorite thing in the world was bringing our family together. 

I think a lot about the future celebrations my family will have. When my cousin had a beautiful daughter and another one of my cousins got married it felt wrong that she wasn’t there. She should have been there. 

Although the odds were stacked against her, she kept fighting so that she could say goodbye to everyone in my family. She even got to touch the little feetsies of her newly born great-granddaughter. 

Saying goodbye to her is the hardest thing I have ever done in my life. I wanted so badly to take all that pain away from her, to hug her, and tell her it was going to be okay. I didn’t want it to be the last time. 

I fight for everyone who knew time was running out and for those who are still fighting. I hope for all of us that we don’t have to hold the hand of a loved one and know it will be the last time.