Hi!!! Am Luz Molina

Luzvi1987

My name is Luz Viviana Molina Valdés, I am 38 years old, and I am Colombian. I am a migrant who arrived in this country with a suitcase full of dreams. But I didn't arrive with nothing. I had a long list of values and principles instilled in me by my parents, skills learned in schools and universities, and extensive work experience in large companies in my country.But none of this prepared me for a breast cancer diagnosis at 34 years old. Nothing I had experienced had prepared me for how to face a diagnosis and treatment in a country other than Colombia, in a language that wasn't my own, in a place where I only had my husband.But life is a sea of magic. The journey that led me to become a cancer survivor began, but I was never alone. I met all kinds of people in the healthcare field who became angels: kind, polite, and highly experienced doctors; nurses with a true calling, not just interested in collecting a paycheck; secretaries who always greeted me with a smile; and social workers who reminded me that I wasn't alone and that the important thing was to stay strong and positive.Each chemotherapy session became a beautiful experience, one that distanced me from the fear and uncertainty of whether I would make it, because every nurse took the time to smile, patiently explain each step of the process, and say goodbye with a "don't worry, everything will be alright." While my treatment was going on, while I had one surgery after another, losses marked our lives. The death of Trent (my husband's only son) was a turning point, and my husband's hip replacement surgery and the death of his mother in 2025 have put our mental health at risk.

But once again, all the healthcare staff, giving their best for us, have helped us maintain our mental and physical health. Today, being a nurse has become not only a dream but also a challenge for me. It's about giving my best to those suffering from illness, giving my best in a country where I wasn't born but where I was cured of cancer, giving my best to repay a little of what I received in my treatment, giving my best to achieve this even though English isn't my native language.

It's about giving my best because I promised myself I would become a nurse in the United States and work in oncology so that one day I can smile at patients and tell them, "Don't worry, EVERYTHING WILL BE ALRIGHT," with a big smile like I always have on my face, a smile that nothing and no one will ever erase. Because I am Luz Viviana Molina Valdes, a Colombian who knows that her best quality is to ALWAYS SMILE. Thank you for reading. I value and appreciate this opportunity.

Luzvi1987

Luzvi1987

thanks for supporting me