2026 ILT Mom Honoree

Chrissy Rivera

I am Chrissy Rivera. I am a wife, mom, daughter, sister, aunt, friend, teacher and cancer survivor.  I have been married to my husband, Dave, for nearly 17 years, and together we are raising three daughters, ages 10, 6, and 5. I have been teaching since 2005 and joined my current school district in 2009. Outside of the classroom, I enjoy spending time with my family, supporting my daughters at their dance classes, and planning family photography sessions at local parks or locations chosen by my clients.  I love sunshine, summer weather, traveling, cameras, dark chocolate, and exercise.

There was no room for breast cancer in my life when I was diagnosed at the age of 41. I had scheduled my first mammogram shortly after turning 40 the year before.  The results indicated only that I had dense breast tissue. Nothing more.

The following year, in April 2023, during a routine self-breast exam, I discovered a small, marble-sized lump in my right breast. At the time, I was healthy—eating well, staying active, and taking care of my body. After several appointments with a breast surgeon and repeated reassurance that I was too young and too healthy for breast cancer, I allowed myself to believe everything was fine and continued on with my life.

Eventually, however, the lump could no longer be ignored. It had doubled in size and had spread under my right arm. I was finally referred for a breast biopsy, which took place the day after Thanksgiving in 2023. With a heavy sense of knowing—deep down—that something was wrong, I left that appointment and waited four long days. The biopsy confirmed my worst fear. I received the phone call after work informing me that I had triple-negative invasive ductal carcinoma. I later learned that I also carry the BRCA1 gene mutation.

On December 29, 2023, I began 16 rounds of chemotherapy, which concluded in June 2024. In January 2024, following a PET scan, I was also diagnosed with thyroid cancer—unrelated to my breast cancer—after a small nodule was discovered on my thyroid.

On July 29, 2024, I underwent a double mastectomy with an aesthetic flat closure, the removal of all lymph nodes under my right arm, and a complete thyroidectomy. I began 25 rounds of radiation in October 2024 and completed treatment on November 1, 2025. At the time of surgery, there was no residual cancer found in my body—I had achieved a full pathological response to chemotherapy.

As difficult and exhausting as this chapter of my life was, I remained deeply rooted in my faith in God. I was fighting a battle He had already won.

During this journey, I was connected to ILT through a dear friend, Lori, who is also an ILT mom. We met in the infusion center waiting room after I complimented her on her hat. She was placed in my path that day, and for that, I am forever grateful. ILT has supported me in more ways than I can count. Spring consistently made sure I was caring for myself. Care packages arrived at my home, gifts were sent to my children, cleaning and lawn services were arranged when my husband and I could not manage them, and my children even received Christmas gifts. The love, compassion, and understanding from the ILT community is truly immeasurable.

You know your body better than anyone else. When something feels off, speak up, advocate for yourself, and never be afraid to push for answers.