Jesus, I will follow you.

This is her story…

My name is Brianna Bravo. I’m currently a junior at Southeastern University in Lakeland, Florida and my journey has been a rough one. Let me tell you a little about me and why my mother and I would be forever grateful for your help…

At the age of thirty-one, my mother was told she couldn’t have any more children. After having two boys, she always dreamed of having a little girl, but knowing that a tumor was found in her uterus, she lost all hope. My mother ran to my grandmother crying because of this terrible news. After seeing the pain that my mother was going through my grandmother said,“Tomasa, don’t worry I feel it in my heart that you will have your little girl someday and that little girl is going to take care of you in the future.” After a couple months my mother went in for a regular check-up on her tumor and because of God’s grace the doctors were surprised by discovering that the tumor was completely gone.

Literally a week later my mother was experiencing very strong abdominal pain and as she rushed to the ER, the doctors announced that she was pregnant. Neither my mom or the doctors understood how this could have been possible but in her heart she knew it was a miracle from God. My mom wanted to wait to find out the baby’s sex until after having the c-section, so after giving birth her doctor jokingly told her “congratulations it’s another boy!” Feeling a bit sad and overwhelmed, my mom again had lost hope for ever having a girl, but the doctor quickly added, “I’m just kidding, it is a girl!” My mom couldn’t believe it! The nurse wrapped me in my pink blanket and placed me in my mother’s arms for the first time. Unfortunately when I was two years old, my parents divorced leaving my two brothers and I to be raised by my mother and grandparents. At the young age of fourteen, I found out that my mother was first diagnosed with bladder cancer… then three years later she was diagnosed again with breast cancer.

One year ago the doctors found cancerous tumors in her spine, and to this day she is still battling stomach cancer. As a young girl I have always wanted to be just like her, such a caring, positive, and joyful person. Growing up she was always both the mother and the father in my life. She made us her first priority in life and still today while fighting for her own. As the twenty-one year old young woman that I am today, I still make my mother the number one priority in my life. Now I can clearly see the truth behind my grandmother’s words because never have I imagined growing up so quickly in the fact that I am the one who is taking care of her as we both walk through this stage in our lives. There is not one night that passes where I don’t pray for her and her health. For the past three years, I’ve been balancing school, my work and my mother’s health in my mind… but still I prefer to put my mother first above anything else.

Oh how there were nights where I begged to God not to take her, or to give me the illness that she has been battling, because no women who has sacrificed so much for her family, deserves to ever go through this. With tears in my eyes, I can say that my mother is my hero and without her, life becomes unimaginable.

Her dream is to move to Florida where I am going to college but this is not possible because of her health. So I have made it my goal to surprise her with a house in this sunny state after graduation where she can be close to me. She has always told me no matter what happens I have to finish school and to promise her that I won’t give up and in return she won’t give up on her Chemotherapy. This is the promise we both made for each other and now I need your help to make my mom’s wish come true. As a junior in college I am required to pay $5,000 each semester to continue my studies. Every donations counts. Thank you so much for taking the time to read my story and God Bless!

If you wish to donate please visit http://www.gofundme.com/hjy90#description and do so! Every little bit counts! Please reblog this!

Blessings<3

-Sarah