Believe…

in fighting & thriving for my two sons

Tiffany Hamerla

Summer of 2017, while taking a shower, I found a lump in my armpit. I immediately made an appointment with my primary doctor and was told it was a cyst or ingrown hair. After a month, the lump was still there, so I followed up with the same doctor, who reassured me it was a cyst as he pressed on the lump, moved it around, and told me NOT to worry.

During this time, I had a very close friend who lost her mother to cancer, and she was devastated. While attending her beloved funeral, I felt an angel brush my shoulder, and I immediately went back to demand a mammogram and ultrasound biopsy. After my biopsy, I was diagnosed with stage llB Er+PR+Her2- breast cancer.

I underwent two surgeries, 16 rounds of chemotherapy, and 42 radiation treatments. In 2020, I had a hysterotomy to remove uterine cancer. In 2022, I was re-diagnosed with breast cancer. I had a mastectomy followed up with oral chemo. In 2023, my breast cancer metastasized to my bones.

I have moments of weakness, and that’s OK. My sister Amber, niece Gwen and my sons Sonny and Remy have witnessed my fight and have been affected the most. They are the reasons why I won’t stop. My loyal, loving husband, Mike, is my rock.