My name is Dawrine Torres, and I still remember what I thought was the worst day of my life.

On June 21, 2021, my doctor told me that it was confirmed: I had Stage III triple-negative breast cancer.

I can still remember my family coming over that night to surround me with love, support, encouragement, and positivity. My husband, family, friends, and colleagues truly showed up for me throughout my entire journey, and I feel incredibly blessed to have had so many people standing beside me.

Battling breast cancer was one of the hardest challenges of my life—but it has also been one of the most powerful.

There were moments of fear, uncertainty, exhaustion, and plenty of tears. But through every challenge, I held on to hope. I learned to take life one day at a time, one treatment at a time, one breath at a time. I discovered a strength within myself that I didn't know existed, and I learned to celebrate every small victory along the way.

Then, as if cancer wasn't enough, genetic testing brought another difficult discovery: I tested positive for the BRCA2 gene mutation. BRCA2 significantly increases the risk of developing breast cancer, as well as ovarian and pancreatic cancer.

My doctors knew I had a twin sister, Desiree, who accompanied me on most of my appointments, tests and treatments. When we were born they never confirmed if we were identical twins or not, they just assumed that because we looked alike. After I tested positive for BRCA2, my doctors recommended that my twin sister Desiree undergo genetic testing as well—and she tested positive too. She then made the incredibly difficult decision to undergo a double mastectomy, with our surgeon performing the procedure one breast at a time, as well as a full hysterectomy.

I jokingly tell people, "I saved my sister's life."

And in some ways, I guess I did.

With BRCA2, the lifetime risk of developing breast cancer can be as high as 70%. I think we can all agree—that's a pretty frightening number.

But there was also a beautiful silver lining: through all of this, it was finally confirmed that Desiree and I are, in fact, identical twins with a 100% DNA match.

After 16 rounds of chemotherapy, 33 radiation treatments, more than 20 sessions of Keytruda immunotherapy, and 14 surgeries over a two-year period, I am incredibly grateful to share that on March 16, 2022, I achieved NED—No Evidence of Disease.

Being NED doesn't erase everything I've been through. It doesn't erase the fear, the exhaustion, the tears, or the uncertainty. But it reminds me that there is hope on the other side of even the darkest days, and that is what I want to share with anyone fighting cancer today.

To every woman—and every man, because yes, men can get breast cancer too—who is currently facing this battle: please don't give up hope.

Your wellness journey may look completely different from mine. Some days may feel impossibly hard. You may be scared. You may be exhausted. You may have moments when you wonder how you're going to keep going.

Give yourself grace.

Let the people who love you support you.

Celebrate every victory, no matter how small.

Take it one day, one treatment, and one breath at a time.

And most importantly, keep believing that brighter days can come.

Because I am living proof that they can.