Hi, my name is Chloe and in 2010, when I was just 14, my mum at just 42 was diagnosed with breast cancer.

It was the day of my dad's birthday and Mum had been visiting the doctor a fair bit but I never imagined that she would be diagnosed with cancer! It didn't affect me at first because I didn't want to acknowledge what was going on but my little sister was so upset it was heart breaking for me.

My aunty was there that day and told me that she was there if I need to talk but I didn't know how to tell people what I was feeling. Mum went in for her first surgery, a lumpectomy in late April and that went well.

It was scary to see my mum hooked up to all these machines and not be able to touch her without bumping wires.

She looked so frail and it was scary to see my hero like that. My dad tried as hard as he could to keep it together. And then my sister, I would just hold her and let her cry, because with mum being sick I stepped up to take care of the family. I thought it was all over after the first surgery but then she was still worried that she could relapse so she decided to have a mastectomy of her left breast in May but this time she was in hospital for over a week because her wound became infected the day after her surgery. I was so proud of Mum because I would go into hospital and she would be all smiles and happy and just make me laugh till tears roll down my face because she would just make a joke about everything!

After our family cruise in July Mum started her chemotherapy so that she was 100% sure that she would be around for my sister and I for a while now.

She lost her hair by August, but Mum embraced this as an empowerment of her womanhood. I am so much closer to Mum now and she is the strongest person I have ever known. My experience showed me who my true friends are because my best friend never left my side and when I needed to talk or just forget what was happening she was there every step of the way and I have grown so much as a person.

Anyone who is experiencing this: you are not alone and there are people there willing to help you. Since last year I have been and lived in New Zealand for three months, gone on young leader camps and I love my new perspective on life.