

Jennifer Guerrero
Loves Park, IL
Survivor
Twist on Cancer: Growth is still possible, even in the hardest seasons.
Living with metastatic breast cancer has taught me that life can change in an instant. After five years of stability, hearing that I had a recurrence was devastating. It felt like the ground beneath me shifted all over again. But through every wave of fear and uncertainty, I have continued to search for meaning and strength in the middle of the storm.
During chemotherapy in the pandemic, I found deep comfort in trees. In the fall, they reminded me that letting go can still be beautiful. In the winter, when their branches stood bare, they showed me what quiet strength looks like. Trees taught me that even when everything on the outside looks still or broken, growth is still happening underneath.
Participating in Brushes With Cancer through Twist Out Cancer has been especially meaningful because of my connection with my artist, Kelly. Although our diagnoses are different, we are both cancer survivors connected through resilience, faith, and creativity. There is something incredibly powerful about being seen through another survivor’s artistic lens. Kelly’s work reflects not just my cancer journey, but my continued growth through it.
My family and my church remain my greatest sources of strength. They remind me every day that I am more than my diagnosis. I am still growing, still dreaming, and still living with purpose.
Because even after recurrence, even after fear, there is still beauty. There is still strength. And there is still so much life left to live.
