Happy Mother's Day

When my first surgeon, Dr. Ramos, emerged from the operating room on September 19, 2010, he had tears in his eyes. He delivered the news about my diagnosis and prognosis that no loved one wants to hear. Like normal people, my family was devastated. There were tears. There was sadness. There was fear. Everyone felt like they had lost already.

Everyone except one person, that is. My mom.

My mom believed in me even when the chips were down – way down – and when there really wasn't a solid reason to think positively. My mom didn’t cry when she heard that news, that her only child was going to wither away and die within a year or two. She remembered our conversation from the night before, when she asked what I'd do if my disease was Stage IV and that I said that I'd beat it. She wrote down everything Dr. Ramos said, already thinking of who to call and how to get to the best plan of action in place. She delivered the news to my family and told them that if they wanted to cry or be sad, they shouldn’t come see me in the recovery room. She told them that I said I'd beat the disease and that I would, and to only approach me with confidence and positivity. She told my friends and colleagues that if they wanted to support me, they needed to do the same. They needed to believe in me like she did. And so, everyone did. Just like that, my mom became the leader and the backbone of the greatest and most loving support system ever created.

I credit my doctors for saving my life. I credit my diet and exercise regimen for saving my life. I credit myself -- my attitude and will to live -- for saving my life.

And I credit my mom with saving my life.

My mom didn’t just spring into action on my diagnosis day. She has been a hero – my living, breathing, day-in-and-day-out hero, from the moment I was born. Her strength, love, support, and unswerving belief in the fact that I was someone truly special in this world has made me the person I am today. Without my mom, I never would have gone to Duke or Stanford…I never would have become a lawyer…I never would have become WunderGlo.

Imagine having a person that you could call on, day or night (and at any hour of the night), for anything. To joke around, to reminisce about a memory, to brainstorm ideas about my non-profit, to talk about relationships, to make up a crazy song and sing it a few dozen times, to buy and bring me orange juice or my favorite vegan hot wings from the Thai place across town, or even to keep me company if I can’t sleep at night. That has been my mom for the last 30 years (and all of those examples are from this year, actually – special shout out for those hot wings during a chemo week when that was all I wanted to eat, you were exhausted and super busy with work, and Will and Dad didn’t want to get me them).

My mom is my partner in crime, my best friend, and my rock. There is only one human being on this Earth that I can trust without even a shred of hesitation and it's her. She comes through for me like no other, and I can feel that she truly enjoys and relishes being my mother. It is her love and unyielding support that I have been cradled in my whole life. When you have that type of grounding, you can do anything in this world. And that’s exactly why I have.

So Happy Mother’s Day, Mom. You are the best person I’ve ever known. You are a champion, a leader, and the greatest there ever was. I’m blessed for many reasons, but I’m most blessed in this life to have you as my mom. I love you, I'm proud of you, and I'm honored to be your daughter.