We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Annette Cruz a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Annette, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What sort of legacy are you hoping to build. What do you think people will say about you after you are gone, what do you hope to be remembered for?
I am hoping to build a legacy of endurance through trials. When it is all said and done and I am no longer walking in the life of the living, I believe people will say that I endured much, climbed the mountains of pain, traversed the valley of hardship but still kept my eyes on my dreams.
Annette, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I am a single mother of two beautiful daughters. I was the bookkeeper for the tax division in Philadelphia and Pennsylvania. Then I got diagnosed with Metastasis Breast Cancer in the Lungs stage IV. I was forced to leave my job because of my dwindling health. Being used to a busy environment left me at the doors of depression when my daughter suggested I enter Temple University. I enrolled in the Creative Writing Program while my oldest was enrolled in the Computer Science department. I became part of the Disabilities Department and started classes. On my first day of class, I had to get a biopsy done. After the biopsy, I went to class; during class, a stitch came loose, and I had to leave class early. That semester, I endured lung surgery to remove the cancer. While in recovery, I wrote my finals and attended a two-hour written exam. My professor was so angry at me for going in when I could have taken the test online. But, I needed to make a point that cancer does not define me; it does not control me. I will live my life against all odds and achieve what I was made to do. I graduated with a Bachelor of Arts. With what I had done and accomplished, I attracted the news media and was interviewed. I went to class with headaches and side effects from medications and after surgery, but it was all worth it. Now, still fighting cancer I have written over five books and continue to write more. I have a little library in front of my house to inspire reading in my neighborhood. One thing I wish I could do is tell my story to people fighting cancer. I would like them to know that cancer can’t hold you back. Everyone on this planet is going through one thing or another, but it’s not what we go through. It’s how we go through it that counts. We can sit and feel sorry for ourselves or go out and conquer something. What sets me apart from others around me is that I am the only one with this type of cancer that I know. I don’t have someone I can say ok; they did this. I can try that. For me, it’s trial and error. I do know that diet and exercise are the best things to keep the mind healthy while fighting cancer. One thing I would love people to know is that cancer is not contagious; I’ve come across people who won’t even shake my hand for fear of cancer. What I am most proud of is that I am able to be present for my daughters. While in treatment, my youngest daughter got attacked in school, leaving her with 14 stitches to her head. She underwent several therapy sessions to learn to walk on her own. She lost her memory and couldn’t even count. I had to go with her everywhere even though I could hardly walk. My feet became bloody because of the chemo, but I still went with her everywhere. I am proud that I was and am able to be here for my girls.
Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?
What drives my creative journey is that I know one day, there will be someone who will have cancer and feel that their world has ended. I want to reach that person through my books or my poetry, but I want to reach them. I want them to know that I understand I am here for them. They can ask me anything; nothing is out of the question. From personal to private questions, I can answer it all. I want to give hope to those in my situation. I want them to see me and know that things get better. I want to embrace that person and tell them they are not alone.
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
Through having surgery on my lung, through chemo that made me lose my hair, and through painful hands and feet, I made it to class every day. Two weeks after my surgery to remove the lung cancer, I took a two-hour written test. I still had stitches inside and out, but my determination is endless. I want to become a writer, not only any writer but a Christian Gothic Writer. I want to combine Christianity with the Gothic and, through my writing, give my reader an experience that will blow their minds. I have had over five surgeries that would have taken anyone into depression, but I overcame it and kept pushing because I want to achieve my dream.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: annette_.cruz