Twenty-Six-Year-Old Mom Of Two Battles Breast Cancer For Second Time
GRANGER — Think you are too young to get breast cancer? Think again.
Amanda Goss was 24-years-old when she was first diagnosed. She said she noticed a lump under her armpit and like many moms, she thought it was from breast feeding. Goss ended up getting it checked out and found out it was stage 3 breast cancer.
After 10 rounds of chemo and a handful of surgeries, amazing news came in August 2015. Goss was cancer free, she beat it.
Unfortunately, her fight wasn’t over. This past summer she noticed another lump on the same side it was before. So, she went to check it out.
Not only did this 26-year-old mom of two have breast cancer again, this time it was worse. She was diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer and it had spread to her spine.
“I knew I couldn’t let it get to me because I just can’t imagine living without my children because they mean the world to me. So, it is just really important to beat this again for them,” says Goss.
Goss gets treatment every week. This week, she had her 12th round of chemo. She says because it is stage four she will have to have maintenance chemo for the rest of her life.
Granger photographer Michelle Owen saw Goss’s story on Facebook and wanted to help. Being a photographer she knew she couldn’t find a cure, but what she could do is use her talents to make lasting memories.
Owen reached out to Goss and asked if she would be interested in taking family portraits, and she was.
“I really liked her work and so I just said why not and she wanted to just, as a gift for our family, just do portraits,” says Amanda Goss.
“I don’t know how she was smiling and laughing with her kids and her children are running, just like any photo session, but yet you know what is going on in the inside of her body and that was touching to me,” says photographer Michelle Owen.
“It was just nice to have the kids running up and down the beach, playing with the seagulls and just having a good time,” says Goss.
Then, just last month Owen noticed something else on Facebook.
“She had posted again on Facebook about something glamorous that she really wanted to do,” explains Owen.
“I just wanted to show other women that are going through it that you don’t need hair to be beautiful,” adds Goss
With the help of a local store, Owen made another photo shoot happen and it was certainly glamorous.
“It was neat because she was moving her dress around and flowing it and she was getting into it and dancing and I just caught her doing the things she liked to do,” says Owen.
“I like that I can raise awareness for other younger women and especially younger moms going through it too,” says Goss
Goss is a wife, mother, advocate and fighter who is not giving up till this cancer is all gone.
“I am going to beat it again, yeah. Cancer’s got nothing on me,” says Goss.
If you want to help Amanda you may want to check out a Craft Fair Fundraiser. It is taking place from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Watervliet Middle School on December 3rd. That is located at 450 E. Red Arrow Highway in Watervliet.
There will be several craft vendors, a silent auction, raffles and so much more.
If you are interested in getting some photos taken you may want to contact Michelle Owen.
She says she loves helping people who really need it. Her goal is to do a shoot, like the one she did with Amanda, every three months.
Source: WNDU
