“I had to start making a concern of all the things I needed to do in order to continue living a healthy life and last a bit longer for my kids."

start making a concern of all the things I needed to do in order to continue living a healthy life and last a bit longer for my kids.”

When Pelayo eventually did meet with IVCSC’s Oreda Chin, she caught her up on her health and expressed her deepest thanks for being kind and giving her hope.

of things and she opened that bit of hope in me,” Pelayo said. “I told her I would help her in anything she would need.”

Since speaking with Chin, Pelayo has kept her word by often volunteering to be a spokesperson for IVCSC at various events in the Valley, Mexicali and San Diego areas. Pelayo became the first cancer patient the nonprofit had following their name change in 2016 and went on to speak to other cancer survivors about her journey.

“It has helped me to get through all the fears that I have,” Pelayo said. “You just have to go through life and continue, but I’m not afraid anymore.”

Pelayo also explained her biggest strength in this process has been her faith and her family.

“I feel like God has helped me on this journey in different ways,” she said. “I have done so many things I would have never thought I would.”

Apart from being active in kickboxing, Pelayo, now 40, has also participated in local fashion modeling and became a notary public.

“I don’t want to miss anything,” Pelayo said. “If I’m going to try for anything or if I have something in mind I’m going to keep trying until I get it.”

For Pelayo, cancer was an opportunity to see life differently and demonstrate to herself she can do anything. Unbeknownst to her, this was a lesson she was also demonstrating daily to her own three children; 24-year-old Francis, 19-year-old Sebastian and 10-yearold Ninelle Pelayo.

“She is a sign of resilience really,” Francis said of her mother. “She’s gotten out of her comfort zone and I never imagined my mom being a spokesperson for IVCSC or being really involved or even becoming a notary public, but here she is.”

Although Sebastian feared for his mother’s life upon hearing about the possibility of cancer, he was able to find courage from not only his mother’s strength, but his father, Jose Luis Pelayo and his unwavering support and love for his wife.

“I saw my dad and he went through the process with her and I thought if that’s the love of his life and if he can be strong for her, so can I,” Sebastian said. “As the only son, I wanted to be strong for my sisters and mom.”

Fear is not something Pelayo allows to pacify her life, and she hopes others can learn from her story and pursue their own health answers regardless of how difficult or uncertain it may be.

“If you feel something you have to get checked,” she said. “Don’t be afraid, there are so many different programs so the earliest you go get checked, the better.”

“She did a lot