Hearing the words “ you have breast cancer” did not end Niya’s life; it started from there. From brokenness to strength, from silence to voice, she discovered that cancer didn’t take her life away; it gave her a chance to rebuild it and start enjoying life again. At just 31 years old and pregnant, Niya’s world shifted in an instant when her oncologist told her that she had breast cancer. That was the time of joy, preparing for her new baby, which was suddenly shadowed by a diagnosis of ER/PR+, grade III, stage IIB invasive Ductal Carcinoma.
She describes that heartbreaking moment, tears running down her face as she held her belly, realizing that the joyful moment of her life had collided with the harsh reality of cancer. She wished things had been different; her mom’s oncologist had once suggested she start mammograms at 30, only to change their advice later. When Niya discovered a small lump months earlier, she ignored it as a clogged duct while nursing her toddler. It wasn’t until she mentioned it to her OB during a routine visit that her concern grew. With breast cancer deeply rooted in her family history, her grandmother and mother both diagnosed, her diagnosis felt like a cruel continuation of a painful cycle.
Pregnancy made everything difficult as doctors delayed her treatment until later in her second trimester. A unilateral mastectomy revealed more spread than expected, with ten cancerous lymph nodes instead of one. Seventeen were removed, changing her treatment plan to include Radiation.
Soon after surgery, she endured four rounds of chemotherapy during the pandemic while balancing work from home and caring for her son. The treatments slowed her once non-stop pace and forced her to face hidden emotional pain. While isolating and exhausting, chemotherapy also gave her the gift of reflection. She allowed herself to prioritize her needs, resulting in a deeper appreciation of her pregnancy.
Niya’s daughter, Baby Sunflower, arrived during an unplanned home birth. She attempted to nurse but struggled with milk supply, a reality that filled her with guilt and grief. She mourned being unable to breastfeed longer, but the generosity of other women who donated milk reminded her of community and kindness amid hardship. Six weeks later, treatment resumed with Taxol chemotherapy. This phase came with new challenges, especially the painful Neulasta patch she needed to restore her white blood cells.
Despite the immobilizing cramps and spasms, Niya began to see her body not as broken but as strong, a ship carrying her through unimaginable circumstances. After all this, Radiation was the last stage, one she had feared the most, but it hadn’t been part of her original plan, and accepting it tested her ability to surrender to change. When hackers shut down the hospital’s computer system, which delayed her treatment, her patience was stretched thin. Yet it was another lesson in letting it go with the flow.
During Radiation, Niya faced personal losses beyond her health. She lost her job as a preschool teacher because she could not safely return to in-person work while still in active treatment. At the same time, she knows the truth about her abusive relationship. Choosing to walk away and rebuild as a solo parent was terrifying but necessary. Cancer had taken much, but it also gave her the courage to demand better for herself and her children. Through this difficult time, she emerged transformed. Breast cancer, though devastating, forced her to slow down and reconnect with herself. She rediscovered her femininity, once buried beneath scars and shame.
Meditation helped her replace self-criticism with compassion. She repeated affirmations of forgiveness and love until they became her truth. By the end of her journey, she could look in the mirror and see not brokenness but strength, beauty, and resilience. Niya also finds her voice. Once quiet and content to stay in the background, she shares her story openly, using it to teach other women like her. Opportunities she never imagined, such as writing, modeling, and public speaking, are now part of her reality. What began as a diagnosis that felt like an ending became the beginning of her most empowered chapter. Breast cancer taught her not just about survival but about self-love and the magic of life’s small moments.
