MCGREGOR, TX — Savanah Ponce was diagnosed with metastatic stage 4 breast cancer at age 24. With no history of the illness in her family, she can't help wonder why her.
Noticing the lump in the shower, she went to the doctors and that's when she heard the news that changed her world.
"Unfortunately, there is no ending," Ponce said.
It was hard for her to hear the news, but it was even harder to ask for help. With medical expenses slowly piling up she knew she couldn't do everything alone.
It’s estimated that more than 154,000 women in the U.S. have metastatic breast cancer, according to Susan G. Komen.
Survival for metastatic breast cancer varies greatly from person to person.
Of the women who have metastatic breast cancer in the U.S. today, it’s estimated that 34 percent have had metastatic cancer for at least 5 years. So, they’ve lived at least 5 years since being diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer.
With help from family, they are needing to ask the community to continue her lifelong treatments.
"I'm very blessed they've [community] done a lot, like more than I can explain how much they've done," Ponce said.
With the community by her side, she feels the love every day. Her mom, Nancy Kinnear is right by her side through it all.
"Even on bad days my mom has to remind me tomorrow can be better will be, will be better," Ponce said.
So many kids look up to their mom, but for this mother and daughter duo the roles are reversed.
"Savanah's my hero, and she's hero to many she's taught us to live again," Kinnear said.
It breaks Kinnear's heart to see her daughter through the bad days, sometimes not even being able to get out of bed. Although, they know brighter days are soon to come.
"Thankfully, next month I will have reconstruction now that I'm stable," Ponce said.
She chose to undergo a double mastectomy when they found the cancer, not that the medication she is taking is preventing the cancer from worsening she can feel more like a woman again.
Since Ponce's cancer is so severe there is no chance of being cancer-free, right now she is taking different medications. Once they stop working, they move her to a different one and that's the process she'll go through for the rest of her life.
"She doesn't realize at how much she makes me stronger, when I see her having her bad days I know I gotta do something for her," Kinnear said.
For now, stable is the best word they can hear, as they live one day at a time.
"Find the things that make you look forward to the next day or help keep your spirit up," Ponce said.
Right now Savhana is making bunnies for cancer patients, she will donate them in April. To help with those funds and other medical expenses you can visit the website here.
