Imagine being a 33 year old single mom and a 6th grade teacher. You’re also really into fitness, and are overall in excellent shape and health.
But then you start feeling pain in your stomach. Pain that starts out feeling like cramps. Pain that increases over time to the point where you stop exercising and can barely even stand up straight when you’re teaching.
That’s what Bianca Harvey experienced, and after 4 visit to the emergency room, she finally found out what was wrong. She tells PEOPLE that her doctor found a tumor in her stomach and recommended a colonoscopy. The colonoscopy led to a diagnosis of colon cancer, and she later found out that it was stage 4 colon cancer.
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Harvey’s dad had colon cancer in 2019, and he had surgery to remove it. With that experience in her mind, when Harvey was diagnosed in 2023, she wasn’t all that worried. She assumed she would have surgery as well, but with the stage 4 diagnosis, and the fact that the cancer had spread to her pancreas, her doctor told her that chemotherapy was a better option since there was no guarantee that they could remove it all with surgery.
She had chemotherapy every two weeks for 16 months, and she responded well to the treatments; however, her battle wasn’t over yet.
In 2024, a tumor was discovered near her lungs. Her body wasn’t responding well to chemotherapy anymore, so now she is on immunotherapy. She gets immunotherapy treatments one day every three weeks and then two days every three weeks.
Although her battle is difficult and unexpected, especially at her young age, she is determined to keep fighting. She has the support of her mom and dad, who have been there for her and her 9-year-old daughter, throughout this journey. In fact, at her sickest moments, her mom has been there to literally do everything for her, and there was also a time where her mom took over childcare so Harvey could simply focus on her cancer battle.
@b_prettifit Cancer may tests my body, but MY FAITH lifts my soul! I’m still dancing, standing, and smiling! 🙏🏽💙😊💃🏽 I hope this video makes ya’ll laugh, smile, feel happiness, love, good energy and vibes! Because that’s how I felt when I was making it 🥰📲 #trending #fyp #fypシ #cancer #cancertok #trend #trendingvideo #battle #battlewithb ♬ original sound – ilostmy448
Harvey’s biggest reason for fighting so hard is to be there for her daughter. She said, “I love my baby. She’s 9 now. I don’t want her to have to grow without a mom. And when I think about that, I do my best to push through, I do my best to have more good days than bad days. And I know she looks up to me, I know she depends on me, and that’s one of the biggest things that keeps me here, is her.”
Harvey shares her story on social media where she dances through her treatments and is honest about her journey. She hopes that her battle encourages people to advocate for themselves and their health. She explained, “The biggest thing is, if you feel like something isn’t right, get checked. Don’t be afraid to ask the hard questions.”
