›› Fearless Females: Lauren Albright

Prior to my breast cancer diagnosis, I was taking life for granted: a wonderful husband, supportive friends and family, a decent job and a comfortable lifestyle. And at 28 years old I still carried with me that sense of invincibility that I bought into during my teens. In other words, I was healthy and I had my whole future ahead of me. Nothing could stand in my way. Man, was I in for a rude awakening.

However, breast cancer has truly enriched my life in a totally unexpected way, bringing with it pause and a deeper sense of gratitude. I look forward to each new day. I feel like I have more direction to live an authentic life with the aim of helping others in ways that I never dreamed possible. It may seem odd to say that cancer is a gift, but God has granted me this opportunity to be an even stronger, more dynamic person that I ever could have been without this incredible, crazy, chemo journey.