YOUNGSVILLE, N.C. -- Meeting Tricia Brantley, you would never know she's battling cancer for the second time.
"I've been thrown a couple curveballs, but I'm just going to keep hitting them,” said Brantley.
Her positive attitude shines through as she talked to friends and family at a recent fundraiser at Wine and Beer 101 in Youngsville.
"I try to stay positive. Obviously being negative it's not going to get me anywhere,” explained Brantley. “But my husband is incredible and he takes great care of all of us."
Brantley was diagnosed last month with stage four metastatic breast cancer which means the cancer spread to her brain, liver and lungs.
"We're going to try to knock this thing out as much as we can,” said Brantley. “At this point with stage four I'll never be in remission. But they will say there's no active signs of disease."
The 38 year-old Wake Forest woman was diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer in 2015. Brantley went through chemotherapy, a double mastectomy and was cancer free. Two years later she went back to the doctor after having migraines, which turned out to be tumors.
"I knew it was an option because it did happen to my mom. But no, I thought I had kicked it,” she said. “I thought I beat it and I thought I was going to be just fine. And it's not how it happened, but I'm going to be ok."
Brantley and her three siblings lost their mom to breast cancer 19 years ago. Now she's remaining strong for her own children who are 11 and 14.
"I have two children and I lost my mom to breast cancer in 1998 and she had just given birth two months prior to my sister Jamie, who is 19, and she lives with us and in my heart she's mine,” explained Brantley. “I didn't give birth to her, but I have three children that I’m responsible for.”
Brantley hopes her story can raise awareness.
"I definitely want everybody to be doing self-exams and that early detection is really important. But I also want people who have been diagnosed to understand the signs and symptoms of it metastasizing and turning into something else,” she said.
While she fights for her life, the community is planning several more fundraisers to help.
"They've got a lot of expenses, a lot of doctor bills and we're just trying to do what we can as a community and friends,” said Van Moore, a family friend.
It’s a community that’s “Tricia Strong.”
"I am just so grateful for everything,” said Brantley. “If anybody could just say a prayer -- that means the world to me. So for people to organize this event and the coming up event, it's just incredible. People are amazing. I love them, all of them.”
Click here to donate to Brantley.
Upcoming fundraisers:
Zumbathon at Motion Fitness
Friday, June 2 from 6 - 8 p.m.
Oak Level Christian Church, 2279 Cedar Creek Road, Youngsville
Tickets: $10 dollars in advance and $15 dollars at the door
Click HERE for FB page.
BBQ Chicken Plate Sale
Friday, June 16 from 11a.m. until they sell out
Moose Lodge- 2824 Forestville Road, Wake Forest
Plates, which include 1/2 chicken, potatoes, snap beans and bread, are $9
Delivery is available for plate orders of 15 or more!
Click HERE for FB page.
If you have a question about the BBQ or want to participate in the raffle, call Van Moore at (919) 427-6084.