NEW JERSEY, USA: A Mother Named Ama

On March 13, my mother celebrated her 69th birthday.  I am thrilled to still have her in my life, and I cherish every moment we spend together.  You see, two years ago she was diagnosed with stage 3 ovarian cancer.

On the day she received her diagnosis, she was immediately admitted to the hospital.  We had no idea what to expect.  I was eight months pregnant at the time and could not stop crying, day and night.  My mother spent Christmas in the hospital, making it the worst Christmas EVER, then she had extremely invasive surgery which left her in the ICU for days.

Once she was strong enough to undergo chemotherapy, she completed six rounds over a period of about 5 months and was cancer-free.  In the spirit of celebrating her recent birthday, I want to honor her by sharing the incredible life she has lived.

My mother was born in 1942 in rural Spain.  Her mother suffered from tuberculosis and was 47-years-old at the time of my mother’s birth.   Due to complications associated with the birth, my grandmother died two days after my mother was born.  (more…)