HENRICO COUNTY, Va. -- Robin Moore lives by three simple words. Words on a plaque hanging in her home: "Make Today Amazing"
The Henrico woman is grateful each day she wakes up.
"Right now we’re in the healing and recovery mode," Robin said. "So I have to look at it as a blessing. I can’t look at it any other way."
Three years ago the 59-year-old woman was diagnosed with a potentially deadly disease -- pancreatic cancer.
Robin Moore
Survival rates for patients living with pancreatic cancer run extremely low, but Robin Moore’s doctors said she was defying the odds.
"My doctor says, ‘You are the poster child of how this is supposed to work’, but he says, ‘We don’t have a lot of people like you,'" she said.
The former substitute teacher and beauty consultant teaches classes and speaks to her congregation at Unity of Richmond. Robin credited her positive attitude and her deep faith with staying alive.
"Man has a part in this, but God has another part in this and that part is what I was trusting," Robin said.
Robin Moore
After rounds and rounds of chemo, Robin and her doctors stopped treatment in 2015 and she hasn’t looked back.
"It feels really good to live my life as Robin on Robin’s terms," she said.
Robin who graduated with her Master’s Degree from Columbia University even talks about her illness differently than most patients.
"All of the language surrounding cancer is negative. It is ‘battling’ and ‘fighting’. I chose that I was not going to experience that. I chose a more harmonious journey.”
The New York native looked at her illness as an opportunity.
"I enjoy being healthy. It is a birthright. We don’t have to be sick. At least I don’t," she said.
Robin Moore. A woman reminding everyone to Make Today Amazing.
“I have not bought into the fact that I was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. I don’t own any part of that diagnosis. I’m moving through," she said.
Greg McQuade features local heroes in a weekly “Heroes Among Us” segment. Watch Greg’s reports Thursdays on CBS News at 6 or here on WTVR.com. If you would like to nominate someone to be featured on “Heroes Among Us,” click here to email heroes@wtvr.com.
