Bronx survivor finds new strength after beating breast cancer
When her treatment ended in 2022, Ayisha began rebuilding her life. She rejoined the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk events.
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At 35 years old, Ayisha Gomez is walking with pride at this year’s Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk in Crotona Park, three years after overcoming one of the hardest battles of her life.
In April 2021, at just 31, Gomez went in for what she thought would be a routine screening after seeing a commercial that inspired her to be more self-aware. But her doctor’s reaction that day told her something was wrong. A few days later, alongside her mother, she learned she had Stage 2 breast cancer.
The news hit hard. Gomez's grandmother and great-aunt had both faced breast cancer before her. Determined to fight, Ayisha underwent chemotherapy and had lymph nodes removed, but doctors were able to spare her breasts.
Even while battling cancer, Ayisha pressed forward. She had just been accepted into a master’s program, which she completed while still in treatment. “It was so hard to speak about what I experienced,” she recalls. “I had to do the support groups and the therapy.”
When her treatment ended in 2022, Ayisha began rebuilding her life. She rejoined the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk in Central Park, and this year, she’s continuing that tradition in her home borough of the Bronx. “It’s been great finding community with these strong, courageous women here in my own borough,” she says.
Now, Ayisha’s energy has shifted. She’s walking this Sunday with her team, the Everlasting Emeralds, a tribute to her late grandmother. “For one small moment that changed my life, to now walking with pride, this journey is proof that awareness can save lives and hope can carry you through anything.”
