BROWN DEER, Wis. — Natasha McCants smiles easily these days, but that wasn't always the case. The past two years have tested her in ways she never imagined after a cancer diagnosis changed everything.
"It was very hard. Very, very hard. It was not an easy road to get to where I'm at now," McCants said.
In February 2023, at just 45 years old, McCants received devastating news: she had colon cancer, despite having no prior symptoms.
"My first thought is, I have two children, and who needs their mother. So it was fear," McCants said.
Over the next two years, McCants endured surgery and months of chemotherapy. But her condition worsened, and doctors eventually advanced her diagnosis to stage four after discovering cancer had spread to her lungs and liver.
"They sent me home to die. They said there's nothing else we can do," McCants said.
Refusing to give up, McCants and her family advocated for a second opinion, which led her to Chief of Medical Oncology Dr. Ajaz Khan, M.D. at City of Hope in Illinois, about an hour away from her home.
The new medical team brought fresh perspective and different treatment options.
"Her DNA tells so much in terms of where the cancer's growing. She has a marker which we can easily treat," Dr. Khan said.
Now, most of McCants' cancer is gone. Dr. Khan believes that with one final surgery scheduled in less than two weeks, she could be rendered disease-free.
Watch: Brown Deer mom shares cancer battle to help others
During Minority Cancer Awareness Month, McCants felt compelled to share her story, emphasizing how regular check-ups can be life-saving.
When asked if skipping a wellness check might have cost her life, McCants replied, "I probably would not have been here."
Her experience has given her a new outlook on life, and she encourages everyone to prioritize their health and never surrender hope.
"You have one body, and you have to take care of it," McCants said.
She credits her faith family as well for uplifting her through prayer like at St. Philip's Evangelical Lutheran Church with Pastor Raymond Kimbrough, Ebenezer Missionary Baptist Church, Christian Faith Fellowship Church, Tabernacle Community Baptist Church, and Holy Redeemer Church of God and Christ.
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