Gyda Higgins will never forget March 2002. What a month it was for the 33-year-old commercial properties manager from Toronto. March 4, she was diagnosed with early-stage but aggressive breast cancer; March 8, she became engaged; March 16, she got married; and on March 26, she first received treatment at Roswell Park Cancer Institute.

Gyda followed her husband's advice to receive her treatment at American's first cancer center, and as she tells it, it was the right decision for her. "I talked with the doctors in Ontario, but felt comfortable with Dr. Edge and his treatment recommendations," she recalls.

Dr. Stephen Edge, Gyda's doctor at Roswell Park, recommended MRI of the breast to assure there was no other tumor in the breast and then a lumpectomy with sentinel lymph node biopsy, a minimally invasive surgical technique that precisely identifies the lymph node at greatest risk for spread of the cancer. If this lymph node is not cancerous, physicians can limit the surgery to the breast lesion. Gyda's lymph node was not cancerous.     

"Roswell Park is different," says Gyda. "The nurses, physicians, everyone strives to not only treat your cancer but to make the process as comfortable and comforting as possible."

Still working during treatment Gyda commuted to Toronto from Buffalo during the six months of chemotherapy and radiation that followed surgery. When her cancer treatment was completed, the newlyweds got on with their lives and even began discussing the possibility of starting a family.

There was only one possible hitch. The aggressive treatments Gyda received could prevent them from having children of their own. The couple explored options to adopt and also consulted fertility experts. Just one week after her first appointment with a fertility expert, Gyda discovered she didn't need help. To her surprise and delight, she was pregnant. The couple's astonishment grew when sonograms revealed that Gyda was carrying twin boys.

Currently on maternity leave, Gyda is enjoying motherhood with the support of her entire family - all of whom have been supportive over the last three years. "I am one of the happiest people alive. I try to pinch myself. I am so blessed with these two beautiful boys and a wonderful family," she says.

Gyda's message of hope for the holidays: "Your most valuable 'friend' is your positive attitude. You can accomplish and overcome anything with that, plus the support from family and friends. Focus on the great things in your life and remember you never know what life has in store for you."