Living Lab Video Testimonial: Rebecca Esparza

Rebecca Esparza

Video transcript: 

On Thanksgiving Day of 2001, I was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. And it was only supposed to be a routine surgery to remove fibroid tumors. And it was – came as a complete shock. I was only 30 and, um, I’d not had a chance to have children. So the other element that was very devastating was, um, having a radical hysterectomy at the same time. 

I didn't have health insurance. So, I had to navigate the healthcare system to try to get treatment, it took a couple of months. By the time I started treatment, it had spread to stage four.

I think it's important for any, um, ovarian or uterine cancer survivors to join the Living Lab because it's an opportunity for you to give back to future generations and also to honor the legacy of those that have went before us that made our survivorship possible. 

And I think it's an incredible opportunity for survivors of these cancers to feel like they're adding to that body of knowledge and helping future research and possibly a future cure. 

It's only because of research that I'm still sitting here today.