Kristine turned her pain into purpose.
Kristine Quijano’s personal awareness of breast cancer began with her own mother's diagnosis. Her mother passed away from breast cancer at the age of 51. Kristine, who chose a career in nursing to help others, has always been vigilant about performing regular breast self-exams.
At age 31, about a year after she stopped breast-feeding her daughter, she felt a lump in her breast and called her physician. At first, it was thought to be a clogged milk duct but after further testing and evaluation, she was diagnosed with breast cancer. Having a personal relationship with God, Kristine found her strength in Him.
With 16 rounds of chemotherapy followed by surgery, she fought the battle all the while proclaiming, Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” With the support of family and friends and the help of a devoted oncology and surgical team, the treatment resulted in a pathologic complete response, a miracle, declaring her cancer free.
Given her age and the type of cancer, Kristine was offered the opportunity to participate in a clinical trial to evaluate the effectiveness of standard treatment to a new treatment. Kristine turned her pain into purpose. She willingly chose to participate in the trial because she felt that it may help future “sisters” like herself through awareness and research.