The pain of leaving our family behind, the uncertainty of living in a foreign land, the stories of those who did not make it, the fear of not being there when we are needed most—these and many more are the reasons why we find ourselves in a quandary when deciding on going abroad to seek greener pasture. The decision does not come easy especially to parents with growing up kids and those who are at their most vulnerable ages. But in the end, the pain, the worries, the fears, the uncertainties are nothing compared to the kind of life we can give our family.

Towards the end of 2000, I left the Philippines headed for Los Angeles, CA, in the hope of starting anew. My failed marriage has taken a toll on my health that my doctor advised me that a change of environment would be most beneficial. Welcoming the New Year 2001 in the US, I thought, was the best sign of the good times to come. A new year, a new environment, a new life, a renewed hope—these gave me the boost to move on. I have reached rock bottom before so I thought that there was no way for me to go but up.

Lo and behold! A little over a year after, I was diagnosed with Stage III-B breast cancer. Whhooo! That was all I was able to say. With no savings, no insurance and a TNT, how do I go about my treatments? Not to be forgotten is the fact that I was working as a caregiver. Will I lose my job in the light of this new development? How will I survive being alone, far from the assuring arms of my loved ones, thousands of miles away from my closest friends? Still emotionally weak from the pains of the past, still trying to adapt to a different culture, where on earth will I get the strength to fight my battles?

These and a lot more will be the focus of my articles in the days to come. My personal experiences, both as a migrant worker and a cancer survivor, hopefully, will inspire those who are in the same boat. We all have our problems. We all have nothing but the best interest of our loved ones in mind. We all struggle. We all fight. But at the end of the day, what counts most is how we lived our life.