TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — A Tucson mother's life was forever changed when a routine breast exam revealed both breast cancer and an unexpected pregnancy.
Michaela Moreno Luna was 40-years-old and living what she describes as one of the happiest years of her life when she noticed a ripple in her breast. Trusting that gut feeling, she decided to get examined.
"Because I knew my own body, because I knew what my body looked like, I knew that something had changed," Moreno Luna said.
The visit brought unexpected news.
"I went in to have my breast looked at, and I walked out with an ultrasound of a baby," Moreno Luna said.
Further testing confirmed she had Stage 2B Invasive Ductal Carcinoma, an aggressive breast cancer that had spread to her lymph nodes.
"It completely changed my life," Moreno Luna said.
According to the National Breast Cancer Foundation, one in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in her lifetime.
The diagnosis brought overwhelming emotions as she was growing a baby while battling a life-threatening disease.
"That first year was very difficult. It was tackling lots of things, not just cancer, but it was pregnancy, and I still worked," Moreno Luna said.
Two days before giving birth, Moreno Luna was still receiving chemotherapy, which causes a lot of fatigue in patients.
"I remember there was a time while I was in the delivery room and I thought to myself, I can't, I can't, I don't have any more to give," Moreno Luna said.
In 2022, Moreno Luna gave birth to a healthy baby boy after completing nine chemotherapy treatments. She began radiation therapy afterward.
She says the physical changes from treatment affected her sense of identity as a woman.
"You lose all of your hair, and I had a double mastectomy, so I lost my breasts. Something that also gives you an opportunity to connect with your child when they're born," Moreno Luna said.
Chemotherapy also led to weight gain, which Dr. Amit Algotar from the University of Arizona Cancer Center says can be linked to diabetes or heart disease. Dr. Algotar helped create a treatment plan to address her unique needs.
"We have amazing technology that allows us to not only detect these cancers early but also have effective treatments that allow the patient to live longer," Dr. Algotar said.
Over time, Moreno Luna says she turned her sickness into survivorship.
"Everything that I have done, all of the treatment, everything that I've gone through is for my life. So that I can be here for my son, so that I can keep being a mom," Moreno Luna said.
Today, Moreno Luna says she shows No Evidence of Disease, or what doctors call NED. She receives testing every one to three months to monitor her health.
Throughout her cancer journey, people called her a "guerrera," which means warrior in Spanish. This inspired her to share her story online and start a support group for women with cancer.
Those interested in connecting with her support group can search @mamaguerrera on Instagram or "Tucson Breast Cancer Supports and Resources (WARRIOR-GRRERA)" on Facebook.
For information about cancer support groups, click here.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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Jacqueline Aguilar is a multimedia journalist at KGUN 9. Born and raised in Yuma, AZ., she is no stranger to the unforgiving Arizona heat. Now this U of A wildcat is excited to be back in Tucson and is looking forward to involving herself in the community. Share your story ideas with Jacqueline by emailing jacqueline.aguilar@kgun9.com or connecting on Facebook, Instagram or X.
