A mother of eight already fighting the most difficult battle of her life was stopped in her tracks by a phone call that changed everything. In that moment, the burden of her illness took on a deeply personal and unexpected new meaning.
When Misty De La Cruz was diagnosed with an aggressive form of breast cancer, her first thoughts were of her children. As a wife, mother, and grandmother, she understood that this diagnosis would ripple through every part of her family’s world—not just her own.
By age 43, chemotherapy had taken a heavy toll. Walking had become painful, cooking was no longer manageable, and simple tasks required help. But what caught her off guard was how profoundly her illness was affecting her youngest children.
In May 2025, a call from her 10-year-old son’s school exposed just how deeply their everyday life had been shaken. Juggling intense treatment, parenting, and emotional upheaval became a daily challenge. Still, De La Cruz faced it with courage, transparency, and a camera capturing her story—a story that’s since moved millions.
The Diagnosis That Changed Her World
It all began in September 2024, when De La Cruz found a lump during a routine self-exam. She sought medical attention right away and was soon diagnosed with stage 3 triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC)—an especially aggressive and hard-to-treat form of the disease.
Triple-negative breast cancer accounts for about 15% of all breast cancer cases. Unlike other types, it lacks three common receptors—estrogen, progesterone, and HER2—which makes it more difficult to target with standard treatments and often more likely to spread quickly.
Later genetic testing confirmed De La Cruz had mutations in the BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes—mutations frequently associated with TNBC. While a lump is a common early symptom, breast cancer can also appear as swelling, dimpling of the skin, pain, discharge, or changes in the nipple. For De La Cruz, that discovery was just the beginning of a long and emotional road.
Facing the Truth—and a Child’s Heartbreaking Question
Soon after her diagnosis, De La Cruz gathered her older children to explain what was happening. She chose honesty, believing they deserved to know the truth and prepare for what lay ahead.
But opening up to her 10-year-old son required more care. When they finally sat down alone, she gently explained what cancer was and how it might change their day-to-day life.
What he said in response left her speechless—and marked the moment everything truly changed.