Always Make the Most of the Time You Are Given

The hardest challenge we both faced was the illness of our mother when we discovered around the age of 8 or 9 that she was suffering from cancer. At such a young age, this kind of news is very disturbing for children whose life is anchored in happiness and family.

Taking on considerable responsibilities from a young age, we tried to help our parents during what we thought was “only a phase”. Over time, the responsibilities increased, and we had to make some sacrifices, such as pushing our social life and friends into the background to focus exclusively on the well-being of our mother and, therefore, of our family.

As chemotherapy costs are quite expensive, our lifestyle changed progressively. The challenges we faced were worth it for the sake of what we now have, the Barbara Nassar Association for Cancer Patient Support.

It was never an easy ride, but we have reached our destination.

At first, we had to earn people’s trust, since many associations are unfortunately notorious for cheating and lying their way to more funding. Gaining that trust was a long process but today, they see the groundbreaking achievements our association is scoring in this field and its impact on cancer patients’ lives.

Having started as a small family of four with little to no funding, we are now reduced to being a family of three, albeit with hundreds of people working with us to further this association, which is made by the people and for the people.

After going through all these sacrifices as children, we are now reaping the fruits of our efforts. Thanks to perseverance, we now can influence people, create awareness, and help them through the association. Yet, and most importantly, we grew up to become strong and powerful individuals.

To everyone reading this now, seize every day and know the worth of everything. Be grateful for every detail in life, every person, and every moment you live, as you will always remember them either as happy moments or as formative experiences.