When I was 16, my Mom was diagnosed with breast cancer. It was a big shock to everyone that knew her. She always worked out, ran, and ate healthy. Because she had such a healthy lifestyle, it was the last thing anyone expected. Our whole family was worried and scared. My mom ended up having to have six surgeries and was sick for almost two years. However, my Mom is one of the strongest people I know, and was able to beat her cancer. During the two years when she was sick, I matured a lot. I am the oldest child and have two younger siblings, a younger brother, and a younger sister. My Dad is a computer programmer and works a lot. This wasn’t a big deal since my Mom worked part-time and was able to take my siblings to school, practices, and other extracurricular activities. After her cancer diagnosis however, she couldn’t do many of the things she normally did. This meant that many of those responsibilities landed on me. Thankfully, I had just turned 16 and earned my license. My parents began to rely on me to take my brother to and from cross country practice, and my sister to and from volleyball practice. When my siblings got home from school, I would make them snacks, and make sure that they did their homework. Many of the chores around the house that my Mom used to do were now mine. I was constantly walking the dog, doing the dishes, cleaning the house, and mowing the lawn. Sometimes I even had to pick up dog poop, run errands, or make dinner. When my Dad wasn’t home and my Mom was really sick, I took care of her, I brought her medicine, I helped her get from place to place, I made sure she was comfortable. During this difficult time, I began to feel like a third parent. My family is a middle-class family. We're not rich, but money hasn’t been tight either. Sadly, medical care in America can be extremely expensive. My Mom’s cancer treatments, surgeries, and hyperbaric therapy cost a lot of money. This put a lot of financial stress on my family. We had to sacrifice things in order to save money to help my Mom. My Mom is going to have one more surgery due to a complication that occurred. However, thankfully she is now cancer free. My Mom is my inspiration and the toughest person I know. While my Mom’s cancer was hard on me and the rest of my family, I know that this experience helped me to mature and grow as a person. I have learned how to be more responsible, a better son, and a better sibling to my brother and sister. This experience also taught me not to take the people I love and care about for granted. I believe that hardship builds character. This unfortunate event has helped me to grow in many ways that will help me to overcome future obstacles that may occur in my lifetime.