Believe…

that nothing is impossible

Nestor Terrado

Each morning I open my eyes to a new day in the gift of life. In spring 2018, I received a call from the doctor’s office. A biopsy that had been taken of the mass on my neck turned out to be mantle cell lymphoma (MCL). It was like getting hit with a brick.

Having worked as a nurse at Loma Linda University Medical Center for 15 years, I partnered with Loma Linda University Cancer Center to battle my disease. I completed proton radiation treatment, but one year later, the MCL advanced and spread to my bone marrow. I kept fighting and underwent a stem cell transplant to eradicate my cancer. Hospitalization was difficult, and I felt like giving up some days, but my faith and care team kept me afloat.

Scans after the transplant showed no evidence of disease, and this fall, I celebrated my third-year cancer-free.

My journey was full of challenges, but I endured and weathered them all. I fought a good fight and kept up the faith. Never did I stop believing, for with God, nothing is impossible.