Cindy Hanes doesn’t back down from a challenge. This single mother, raising two teens on her own, decided that her Stage 3 breast cancer wouldn’t control her family's destiny. She would. “The hardest part about my cancer was telling my children,” said Hanes of beginning the acceptance of her cancer.

After deciding to take an aggressive approach to her cancer treatment by having a double mastectomy, Hanes is continuing with her chemotherapy, taking leave from her job at Wal-Mart. She is also beginning the process of reconstructive surgery on her breasts. The extremely painful process of expansion is one of her weekly activities, along with chemotherapy and physical therapy that now occupy the hours of her days. But she’s hopeful about the intensive work she’s putting in now. “I work harder because if I don’t, I’ll never get better,” she said.