The last few months of my mom’s life were rough and most of the caregiving duties fell to me.

In December 2016, just after he turned three years old, my son was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL).

I told very few people about my cancer diagnosis because I saw it as a double-edged sword: I would receive their love and concern, but it meant more people I had to update on the latest developments.

I was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 26. When most 20-somethings were dealing with promotions, graduations and new relationships, I was living through a cancer diagnosis, which meant medical tests, oncology appointments and surgeries.