Moms and Dads

Celine Cornejo: Remaining Positive Amidst The Challenge

Celine Cornejo shares her breast cancer story and how she remains positive despite the struggles

Celine Cornejo has used her platform as a preschool teacher and digital creator to promote children’s health during the height of the pandemic. Now, she is on a new mission to promote breast cancer awareness, after she was diagnosed with the condition.

Celine got real about her experience along with breast cancer awareness advocates Audrey Go, April Perreras, and Modern Parenting’s October spotlight Keri Zamora, wherein she remains hopeful despite the challenges that lie ahead.

Photo from teachercelineph Instagram

The news that changed her life

Like her peers, Celine Cornejo went through her annual breast exam when she discovered the condition early in March. “It was my first time to do a breast exam and mammogram. I just turned 40 years old. I had no signs, there were no symptoms, I didn’t feel anything, but there was a lump.”

She initially thought it was a clogged milk duct because she was breastfeeding her sons then. When she got the results, she was classified as suspicious of the condition and was told to have a biopsy and a PET-CT scan. And it showed was she suspected: she had breast cancer and that it spread in her bones.

Upon knowing the news she was diagnosed with stage 4, Celine could not help but think about her children. “ Ang unang pumasok sa isip ko ay yung mga anak ko and my husband. In my head, parang are my kids going to grow up without a mom? Will my husband be a widower? There were so many things I had to analyze, that I had anxiety for three days.”

Celine shared that she and her husband agreed to be honest with their kids about her condition once the school year was done. When they did tell the boys, she knew it was not easy for them to digest it.

“When we told them the news, both of them cried. My eldest, yung cry niya parang hiyaw. Alonzo was tulala. He had a lot of questions.”

“As a mom, hearing those questions, it was heartbreaking… I told them soon Mama [will] lose her hair. Mama will be bald. So if you see Mama bald, losing her hair, please don’t be scared. It means, the medicine is working,” she recalled telling them.

She assured her children that she will get better and stronger.

Photo from teachercelineph Instagram

Getting ready for treatment

As she reflected on her condition, Celine Cornejo knew the journey would be long. In an October 3 post, she again wrote about her worries for her kids as she went through the series of tests.

But Celine did not waste the time and immediately got herself ready for the chemotherapy she would endure. One of the first preparations was to cut her hair.

“Cutting my hair short in preparation for my chemotherapy cycles is my warpaint,” she wrote on October 12. ” My Medical Oncologist told me that I need to start my chemotherapy the soonest. He asked if I’m ready to start in three days. I said, “bring it on!”, and then broke down and cried in front of him. I remember he shed a tear for me and then said that the cocktail is very potent and can really help.”

Cutting her hair she admits was a sign of her anxiety but she knew it had to be done. ” Cutting my hair short is the physical manifestation of the beginning of my battles. I know that one of my battle scars will be losing my hair completely. It’s tough, but it’s my path.”

“I know it’s a long road ahead. I have accepted that I will win some of my battles, but will lose some. I have accepted that it’s stage IV cancer and I might not make it”

The feeling was overwhelming; but, possible to overcome, she said. ” With God beside me—faith, prayers, positive disposition, mindset, family and social support—and my amazing team of doctors and nurses, I will get through this!”

Celine Cornejo with her family
Photo from teachercelineph Instagram

The motivation to get better

Celine Cornejo is taking her journey one day at a time. During the Couch Talk conversation, she spoke about how her family has helped her through the challenging times, and that she’s determined to get better.

“I am focused on beating cancer. Lahat naman tayo we want to be with our kids and husband. I want to be there to witness when they graduate college,” she said.

She wants to be there for every milestone she adds. “These visions of the future are [actually] my motivation to be healthy whether I have cancer or not.”

Celine continued that she has learned to appreciate the things happening to her. ” The fact that I am here, is already a blessing. I am already celebrating the gift of life.”

On top of her family, her close friends have also helped her through prayers and visits. Keri, April, and Audrey even invited her to their cancer advocate groups. Support systems after all are crucial in the journey.

“My doctor told me [that] you should have the support system of positivity and people who will be around you in [the process of ]your healing,” she shared. ” The support system should be holistic.”

Get early check-ups

As she endures the journey to get better, Celine is grateful for the love and support she has gotten. She also encourages women to start getting check-ups as early as they can.

“Don’t wait [for] the usual age. Sometimes, as early as 18, have yourself checked. I am [the] living proof that you don’t need a family history to get yourself checked.”

Despite the long journey ahead of her in battling cancer, Celine Cornejo remains positive. With new friends and the will to live, she hopes that her story, like other cancer survivors, will remind them that they are not alone.

More stories of cancer warriors

Keri Zamora: Finding the Light Against All Odds

Pink Ribbon Pride: Breast Cancer Survival Stories

Sheila Romero on Looking Forward and Leaving a Legacy

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