As we close out our Think Pink series, we turn the spotlight on the heart of Breast Cancer Awareness Month — the survivors. Their stories are filled with courage, pain, and perseverance. For one woman, the battle nearly broke her. Exhausted from rounds of chemotherapy and drained by uncertainty, she says there were moments she wanted to give up. But through the unwavering love of her two daughters, the constant care of her partner, and the encouragement of her co-workers — she found her strength to fight on.  Her story is one of faith, family, and the power of not facing cancer alone.

Margaret Cruz has served with the Guam Department of Education for 33 years. Before her diagnosis, she remembers getting unexplained rashes on her hands and arms — itchy, persistent, and mysterious. In September 2009, during a self-exam, she felt a lump in her breast — but didn’t think much of it until her youngest sister urged her to get a mammogram.

"Dr. Robinson was my doctor at the time, and we did the mammogram. he detected there was something there," she recalled.

That led to an ultrasound, and then a biopsy with Dr. Nathaniel Berg at Guam Radiology, with Cruz saying, "Just based on the doctor's expression and demeanor towards me, I felt there was somethnig wrong."

On December 3, Cruz got a call from Dr. Robinson's office saying they received  her report. And she needed to come in. She went in later that day. "I said okay doc, what is it? he said your report came back and im sorry to say, it came back positive for breast cancer. that was all I heard," she said.

Silence filled the room that night as she told her family. Seeking a second opinion, she went to St. Luke’s in Manila — where Dr. Nunez confirmed the diagnosis. "He did all these tests, I mean I've never taken so many type of tests, from nuclear tests , radiation tests, but they didnt want to see the results that I got from Guam. I'll look at that later. He did find it was the same thing," she said.

The doctor said it had not fully spread. Surgery was needed immediately. "Ok i said doc what are we going to do? We need to act on this right away. we need to do the surgery. he talked about coscmetic surgery after," she said.

In January, she underwent a mastectomy to remove her entire left breast. "Behind the main one, which was a little larger than the size of a golf ball, but he also found three others, right behind it," she explained.

chemotherapy followed — ten rounds in all. "I noticed the discoloration of my nails, my nails were all turning black and they were getting soft and brittle. my appetite, i didnt have one. i couldnt taste anything, everything had a metallic taste," she said.

By the tenth round — she reached her breaking point. "I wanted to give up. I can't do this anymore, just feeling the IV needle going into you - I had it on my hand, on the side, I had it on my foot, becuse they couldnt find a vein. IV needles are huge," she said.

But her two daughters, her partner, and her co-workers would not let her quit.their love pushed her through. When treatment ended — she got the news she had prayed for. No signs of cancer.

"The doctor says dont stress yourself that is what beats cancer. Stress and anxiety is what feeds cancer. He says you dont want to feed it, you want to kill it," she said.

Today, Margaret is cancer-free — a living testament to the power of faith, family, and fight.