A life-changing year: Estela Casas reflects on her battle with bilateral breast cancer

The year that was life changing.

That’s how ABC-7 anchor Estela Casas describes her journey with bilateral breast cancer.

As she marks the one year anniversary, she takes us back to what’s happened the last 365 days and talks about the positive things happening in our community.

“Blessings come in different forms. Mine came last month after I got a tetanus shot,” said Estela as she made the stunning announcement to ABC-7 viewers last September, “A bump that formed in my right arm forced me to the doctor’s office and a devastating diagnosis.”

Estela would go on to deliver devastating news: “After reporting on breast cancer for more than three decades, I join millions of women and men fighting against this potentially deadly disease. I have bi-lateral breast cancer,” she said.

Estela’s first chemotherapy cocktail lasted nine hours.

During that happy hour, Nancy Keane with Albertsons decided to donate $50,000 to the fight against breast cancer.

During her treatment, Estela also joined forces with the El Paso Community Foundation, the Bradley Family who owns KVIA, the Hospitals of Providence and the community to raise an additional $100,000 to create the Stand With Estela Fund.

The fund sponsored a pumpkin patch picnic to cultivate relationships because cancer affects families.

Estela also took us inside her world and we followed as she completed six rounds of chemo and rang the bell.

Estela shared the importance of pre-operation workouts and physical therapy. She and our KVIA team participated in the Rio Grande Cancer Foundation’s Our Colors run together.

Estela also showed you how the doctor filled the expanders after her double mastectomy and before implants.

And she took off her wig on air to reveal her cancer curls.

It’s been a long journey, but in that fight, she’s helped raise money through the fund and more than $90,000 has already been distributed to cancer patients through the Rio Grande Cancer Foundation, including the donation of mastectomy garments when patients leave the hospital.

What’s next?

Estela, with the help of different sponsors and the community, will continue to grow the fund and identify more needs in the community.

If you would like to donate to the Stand With Estela Fund, click here.