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Anna Wassman, a senior at Loyola University in Chicago, was well focused on the economy for her trip, until she noticed a lump in her right breast. absolutely not felt before.
A former professional ballerina who "is very much in tune with her body," Wassman immediately called his doctor, who told him to wait a few days to see if it would go away. She waited, but said that she "knew it was not good."
When the mass was still around two days later, Wassman underwent an ultrasound that required a biopsy. Despite assurances from family, friends, and health care professionals that she was too young to be severe, she anxiously called her doctor's office every day.
Anna Wassman
Courtesy of Anna Wassman
Almost a week after her biopsy on March 1, she was diagnosed with an aggressive form of HER2-positive stage IIa breast cancer. "It can happen to everyone, at any age," Wassman told PEOPLE.
So, what does a 25-year-old woman in the front row of her class, who works full-time, already have a job offer – and must now fight a deadly disease?
"I really started crying … and I immediately went into planning mode," recalls the marketing manager. "I knew it was something that I had to tackle and I could not avoid it anymore. Now that I knew what was happening was, "How can we solve this problem?"
Anna Wassman
Courtesy of Anna Wassman
The diagnosis appeared at the beginning of the break week. So Wassman prepared a week without classes with doctor's appointments, MRIs, CT scans and mammograms. She also asked about what she could change in her diet, her level of physical activity and any other lifestyle-related factors that may improve her prognosis.
Because she was not going to give up her goal: "I just wanted to cross the stage and get my degree. [in May]", Sharing Wassman.
RELATED: A father shares an emotional dance with his 2-year-old daughter fighting cancer: "She's full of life"
The determined student met with her teachers – one of whom was a breast cancer survivor – to explain her situation and prove her dedication to taking her classes on time.
Anna Wassman
Courtesy of Anna Wassman
"I wanted to be completely transparent with my teachers to let them know that I was not just swinging the class to do something fun or to have a job interview," says Wassman.
She eventually graduated with the highest grade point average in her program.
"I do not know how it worked, but everyone was there to need it. I am so grateful, "she says. Her parents flew from California to be with her for weeks. She has never attended chemotherapy alone thanks to her boyfriend and her friends. And she has built an entirely new support network consisting of at least a dozen breast cancer survivors of her age.
RELATED: This 24 year old man found a breast cancer mass while getting ready for an evening
After having a bilateral mastectomy – "I did not have to, but I did not want to have a recurrence," says Wassman – she had four and a half months of chemotherapy, which ended the second week of September . prescription drugs for a few more weeks. She also underwent another surgical procedure around the corner to get breast implants.
Anna Wassman
Courtesy of Anna Wassman
Wassman's future includes working with Imerman's Angels, a non-profit organization that offers personalized support to cancer patients. She also completed a two-year internship with technology company BOSCH, including six months abroad in Germany, starting in early November.
Meanwhile, Wassman continues to appreciate the strength of his body every day.
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"There have been days when I felt like," I do not want to go to treatment, I do not want to do that anymore, "but you have to do it," she says. "But I'm happy to have succeeded and not to give up."
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