June Is Cancer Survivor Month — And I Never Thought I’d Live to See It

June is Cancer Survivor Month. I never thought I would be here to say that — not like this. Not still standing, not still writing, not still breathing into my purpose.

When I was diagnosed with glioblastoma in November 2023, I was given 12 months. That number rang in my ears like a countdown — one year. That was the prognosis. A death sentence, cloaked in sterile language. But here I am, in month 18, and everything — I mean everything — has changed.

Becoming a Survivor: It Is Not What You Think

Survivorship is not a finish line. It is not confetti and balloons. It is not even certainty. It is a decision you make again and again — to get up, to show up, to still be here. There were days I did not want to keep going. Days when I was too tired. Too angry. Too scared. But something deep inside of me refused to quit. Maybe it was stubbornness. Maybe it was love. Maybe it was Max (our dog). Maybe it was my husband holding my hand in silence when the words just would not come.

Whatever it was — it kept me going. And now, I call myself a survivor.

How It Changed Me

People think surviving cancer turns you into some hero. Maybe it does. But not in the Marvel kind of way. More like… it strips you down to the bone, then shows you who you really are.

• I do not stress about things that used to eat me alive.

• I cry more, but I also laugh louder.

• I say “I love you” more often.

• I started a business. A cancer apparel store called JohnVsGBM, because I could not find anything that truly felt like me.

Surviving has made me softer and stronger at the same time. I have learned how to live with uncertainty and how to find beauty in the small moments.

June Means Something New Now

June used to just mean summer. Now it means survival.

Cancer Survivor Month is not just about me. It is about every single person who got a devastating diagnosis and still got up the next day. It is about caregivers who show up every damn day. It is about the warriors in treatment, and the ones we lost but will never forget.

This month, I am choosing to celebrate the fight and the future — even the unknown. I am choosing to keep sharing my story so that someone out there knows it is possible to outlive the odds. Not just survive — but thrive, even in the dark.

Join Me in the Celebration

If you are a survivor, I see you.
If you are a fighter, I stand with you.
If you have lost someone, I remember them with you.

🎗️ June is Cancer Survivor Month — and that is not just a title. It is a badge of courage, a testimony of love, and a reason to keep hoping.

Let’s celebrate what it means to still be here. 💜