For Teresia Njeri Wanjiru, waking up without pain is a blessing. A mother, former teacher and cancer thriver, Teresia has spent the last six years navigating surgeries, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, grief, financial strain and the emotional toll of living with an aggressive and rare form of cancer.

Yet, despite being told she had only months to live, she is still here.

“I’m grateful to be alive,” she says.

Teresia’s cancer journey began in February 2020 when she developed what she initially thought was a strain at the back of her head. The pain soon became severe, forcing her to seek medical attention.

A CT scan revealed a large tumour. Further tests and a biopsy confirmed that she had adenoid cystic carcinoma, a rare form of cancer that had affected her salivary glands, jaw and palate.

At first, Teresia did not fully understand the gravity of the diagnosis.

“I had never heard of cancer. It was my first time,” she recalls.

The reality of the disease began to sink in after her first major surgery. Doctors removed part of her jaw and most of her palate. She was left with a metal mesh and had to relearn basic functions such as eating, swallowing and speaking.

Her appearance also changed dramatically.

“I was swollen. My face was disfigured,” she says.

She would later undergo 35 sessions of radiotherapy, a process that caused her to lose 22 kilogrammes. Eating became difficult due to severe mouth sores and wounds.

Six months after completing treatment, the cancer returned.

In May 2022, she underwent another surgery.

“That’s when it really hit me. I’m dying of this monster,” she says.

The physical pain was accompanied by another kind of pain: rejection.

As she battled cancer, some friends disappeared. Even some family members struggled to be around her.

“I faced rejection. Friends disappeared. Even my family could not share a room with me,” she says.

Through the darkest moments, her aunt became her greatest support system. She provided emotional, financial and practical support as Teresia continued treatment.

But in 2023, Teresia lost her aunt.

The loss was devastating. Her primary caregiver and strongest support system was gone, leaving her to navigate grief while battling cancer and raising her daughter.

At the same time, she was struggling financially. Unable to work, Teresia relied on well-wishers and the support of people who believed in her story.

She also had to continue being a mother.

Her daughter, who was about 10 years old when Teresia was first diagnosed, grew up witnessing her mother’s illness. Teresia says she has always tried to be honest with her daughter while also giving her space to process the emotional burden.

“My daughter is my best friend,” she says.

But there have been moments when the weight of her mother’s illness became too much for the teenager.

During one particularly difficult period, Teresia’s daughter feared losing her mother and repeatedly reminded her to keep fighting.

“Remember, I can’t live without you. No matter how sick you are, you have to survive,” she told her mother.

Teresia admits that there were moments when she felt exhausted and overwhelmed by the pain.

Her treatment journey eventually took her to India, where she underwent intensive chemotherapy and later targeted therapy. The treatment was physically demanding, with multiple chemotherapy sessions administered over long periods.

At one point, she weighed just 36 kilogrammes.

She was unable to stand and struggled to eat. Yet, even during those moments, she continued to fight.

“I used to tell myself, I am alive,” she recalls.

Her journey has also been marked by painful predictions. At one point, a doctor gave her a specific date by which she was expected to die.

But that date came and went.

Teresia is still alive.

Her faith has played a central role in her journey. She admits her faith shook during the hardest moments, but it ultimately became her greatest strength.

When her oncologist in India told her she was “lucky”, Teresia says the words gave her renewed hope.

“If the doctor can tell me I am so lucky, it means God is in this story,” she says.

Today, Teresia continues to live with pain, fear and uncertainty. She undergoes regular tests and faces anxiety about her health and the future.

Cancer has also brought significant financial challenges. She says the cost of medication, medical supplies and care can run into thousands of shillings every week.

“I live one day at a time,” she says.

Despite the challenges, Teresia has chosen to share her story publicly.

Through social media, she hopes to challenge the stigma surrounding cancer and encourage other people living with chronic illnesses.

She has faced cruel comments from strangers, unsolicited medical advice and people who have questioned her condition.

But she continues to speak.

“I want people to know that cancer is not a death sentence,” she says.

For Teresia, acceptance has been part of her healing journey. She has learned to embrace her scars, her changed appearance and the realities of her condition.

“Every day I look at myself in the mirror and tell myself, Teresia, you are beautiful,” she says.

Her biggest dream is simple: to live long enough to see her daughter succeed.

She also wants to be remembered as a loving and amazing mother.

“If Teresia made it this far, I will make it,” she says.

Her message to others is one of faith, kindness and compassion.

Before judging someone, she says, people should remember that they may not know what another person is going through.

“Acceptance brings healing,” she says.

For Teresia, survival is not just about the number of treatments she has undergone or the number of times she has defied medical predictions.

It is in the ordinary moments: waking up without unbearable pain, laughing with friends, spending time with her daughter and choosing to live another day.

Six years after her diagnosis, and after 27 rounds of immunotherapy, surgeries, radiation and chemotherapy, Teresia Njeri is still standing. And for her, that is already a testimony.

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