Brave and fiercely independent are two adjectives that anyone who knows Ivette Martinez, would use to describe her. Throughout her life, Ivette faced many challenges. After being thrown into the foster care system, enduring the trauma of child abuse and domestic violence, she thought she could handle anything. But the breast cancer diagnosis that she received in June of 2017 was not a battle she felt equipped to take on. Ivette was diagnosed with micro- metastatic invasive ductal carcinoma. “I was angry, hurt and scared,” said Ivette, “I [now] have the fight of my life…” Not one to normally ask for help, she was reluctant to seek it out. She forged her own path through treatment and found respite in her family, especially her 7 year-old granddaughter. Over time, she sought out support groups and found a network of support unlike anything she had ever had before. The women she met had been in her shoes, understood her challenges and helped her stay positive, even on her worst days. Though Ivette’s journey is still not over, she’s halfway there. “[On] my down days… when I get depressed… I journal… I also search for every support group I can find to learn from others.” The most valuable lesson Yvette has learned from her journey through breast cancer is that, regardless of the ups and downs, she is not alone.