Silvana Cusimano was going through fertility treatments and trying hard to have a child when she discovered a lump on her breast.

She had stage one breast cancer and her dreams of becoming a mother were crushed.

Despite this diagnosis, Cusimano says she still considers herself fortunate.

"I'm very lucky," Cusimano says. "My partner Ken said to me, 'You have two choices, you can go in the corner and cry your eyes out and feel sorry for yourself, or we can face this together head on and make the best of it.'"

Cusimano also tested positive for having an abnormal BRCA gene, which meant her chances of getting cancer again were much higher. 

After learning this, Cusimano decided to have a double mastectomy. 

Although the now 52-year-old Cusimano never got to have children of her own, she has three stepchildren and a grandchild. 

Now Cusimano is pushing herself during intense fitness classes and encouraging others facing the same diagnosis to never give up.