"The Rose" by Audrey Walsh

An excerpt from Audrey's story: "My guiding light has been my children and my now husband. My son, at the age of fourteen, was wiser than he knew. The day I received the call for the biopsy, my son looked at me and said “Mom don’t worry, you will be just fine.” My son and daughter helped in every way possible- from learning to change the dressings to taking care of the radiation burns. My son would come to radiation with me so I wasn’t alone and I had a puppy to keep me moving. I took my puppy for walks since I could not just let him out into a yard. My future husband came to stay with me and asked me again to marry him, but again, I refused. He persisted and proved to me that he was the one. We married after my treatment was finished, in the Gloria Gemma office, with Maria as a witness, my two children and Gary Calvino officiating.   I have learned from life experience that strength and wisdom can come from the places and people that you would never expect. I have grown into a beautiful pink tea rose with many, many petals. 

You can overcome anything with the help of friends and family."