Breast cancer survivor now sees life as gift

When Virginia Sosa was first diagnosed with stage two breast cancer in June 2010, the news shook her to her core. In the past two years, however, she has fought hard to overcome it, and the future looks bright. Sosa, who is the mother of three teens, received the diagnosis shortly after discovering a lump in her breast.

She quickly opted to have chemotherapy and preventive surgery after her doctors at Harris Health System discovered she had a genetic predisposition to cancer. Overall, she ended up taking four sessions of chemotherapy and undergoing eight separate surgeries. Not surprisingly, the experience has completely changed her outlook on life.

“I’m a totally different person — physically, emotionally and mentally,” Sosa said. “When you’re healthy, you don’t appreciate (anything). Even when you wake up in the morning and just breathe, you’re more thankful for everything.” Despite the hurdles she faced, Sosa trusted her religious faith to see her through the ordeal. Even more than the doctors and medicine, she says, God is responsible for her current good health.

She also credits her family and friends who supported her throughout the process with helping her through many of the worst periods of her illness, especially her husband, Farshid Farshchi. She also holds a special place in her heart for her doctors, nurses and other patients. “My other family pretty much was in the hospital the whole time I was there,” she said.

“I mean, the nurses, doctors, other patients — it’s like another family. We shared this thing, you know? It really helps a lot because you see that you’re not the only one who is going through all that.” While she is not yet completely out of the woods, her prognosis looks very positive, and she will undergo regular checkups for the next five years. 

In the meantime, she has started going to school to pursue a future career path as a medical assistant. Because of her experiences and the time she spent in the hospital, she believes it will be a great way to give back and help others like she was helped. “I enrolled in school, and the first month, I have gone to school and gone to work at the same time,” Sosa said. “I wanted to do different things. I wanted to help people.” 

ABOUT VIRGINIA SOSA AGE: 37 OCCUPATION: Harbor Freight employee; student COMMUNITY CONNECTION: Lives in Timber Meadow subdivision FAST FACT: She has enrolled in classes to become a medical assistant because she wants to help others in her situation.