When I was fourteen the worst thing imaginable happened to my family. I came home from school one day my mom and my older sister were sitting on the couch crying and hugging each other. I soon found out that my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer.

I found myself having to grow up fast, faster than I wanted. In the upcoming months, I witnessed the most terrifying effects of cancer. These effects were emotional, and also physically and psychologically scarring.

In the months that followed, my family and I went through unimaginable tasks.My Dad worked most mornings and afternoons when she was due for surgeries or treatments. It was my sister’s and my job to take care of her. We brought her to and from her appointments. When she was home, we got get her out of bed, and walked her around. On a good day, we got her to eat more than a few crackers, and brought her on family outings. On a bad day, we couldn’t get her out of bed. All she would do is sleep. It was days like those that scared me the most, because I never knew if she was going to wake up. I knew that even if I was worried or scared, that if I stayed strong, so would she.

So now it’s four years later, and she is close to hitting her five-year cancer-free mark, which is a blessing. The things my sister and I did for her helped her survive. We were the reasons why she pushed so hard, and fought as hard as she could. She taught me about myself. I learned empathy is putting somebody else’s problems before mine. This lesson I continued to use in the years to come.

The lessons that I learned from this experience made me a stronger person. I see people as they are and not as their handicaps. I’m confronted with difficult challenges, but I know how to handle them. And I learned that I'm strong, even under absolute circumstances. And I am more tolerant and understanding than I ever was before.