“I’ve given myself the title of ‘cat with nine lives.’”

In this inspiring episode of the Project Purple Podcast, host Dino Verrelli talks with Toni Bravo, a pancreatic cancer survivor and student at the University of Notre Dame, to share her incredible cancer journey. Toni opens up about the shocking moment she was diagnosed during her junior year of college. The diagnosis came after an accident where she was hit by a car in a crash. Despite an initial CT scan missing the tumor, Toni’s instincts told her something was wrong. Two months later, a follow-up CT scan revealed the truth.

Toni reflects on how her life changed when she received the diagnosis alone, away from home. Her personal mantras, “Everything happens for a reason” and “Focus on the things you can control,” helped her navigate the challenges she faced. “I’ve always looked at everything as a redirection of my life. I’ve always had a pretty optimistic outlook,” she says. Drawing on childhood lessons, like adaptability, Toni shares how her experience taught her to cherish time.

Throughout the conversation, Toni talks about the impact cancer had on her life as a young adult, processing the surgery to remove the tumor, how it changed her college career, grappling with mortality at just 20 years old, and finding peace. Her story is a powerful testament to hope, resilience, and strength.

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