HENRICO COUNTY, Va. -- The Daudani family is getting back into the morning routine and getting back to a normal life.
"It’s never ending is really how I would sum it up,” Tara Daudani said describing her nearly two-year breast cancer journey.
Even though the mother of two underwent chemotherapy, a mastectomy, and radiation - her journey isn't over.
"You think once you hear those words, 'cancer free,' you think OK, done and that's not the case at all,” Daudani said.
Tara was recently in the hospital for more treatments, the reconstruction phase of the process.
"I've had four surgeries. I've spent 10 days in the hospital, including Christmas, and still have one more surgery on the horizon,” she said.
Along with the one surgery, Tara has to see her doctor every three months and go through occupational and physical therapy.
That never-ending road started in August 2018 when the then 37-year-old former TV news producer was diagnosed with stage 3 triple negative breast cancer.
An aggressive form of cancer.
We first visited Tara two months after her life-changing diagnosis when Tara was facing her biggest fear.
“Am I going to die? Am I going to die? Is my two-year-old [daughter] going to grow up to be old enough to remember me?,” Daudani said.
"You think it's a death sentence. It's one of the things I try to tell people. It's not,” Daudani said.
At VCU Massey Cancer Center's 25th annual Women and Wellness fundraising event, Tara and her husband Rayhan shared their story -- through the eyes of the survivor and the caretaker.
"When we're standing up there, we want to make sure all of those cancer survivors and all those caretakers know and understand they're not in this alone,” Rayhan Daudani said.
"I am a strong believer the more we fund this research, the more survivors we will have,” Tara added.
Tara is using her new platform to be a voice for other women.
"I’m really blessed I have this platform. that I am able to speak to women and encourage them to know their bodies,” Tara said.
Tara has just been named to the board of directors for the Virginia Breast Cancer Foundation. A group that advocates and educates throughout the state of Virginia.
