How faith and family helped a mother fight rare cancer

A mother's inspiring journey through Stage 3 Myxofibrosarcoma, finding strength in faith, family, and resilience amid cancer

- BY MERLINA HERNANDO-MALIPOT

At 43, Angiellie Talavera Frias had a life many would call full—three children who brightened her days, a home under construction that promised future memories, and a stable career in government service.

Anne, as she is known to family and friends, thrived on the rhythm of family routines. But in mid-2024, a small, painless lump on her thigh quietly changed everything. By August, that lump became a life-altering diagnosis: Stage 3 Myxofibrosarcoma, a rare soft tissue cancer that had already spread to her lungs.

"Sa simula, I was shocked, nalungkot, naisip ko 'yung mga anak ko, 'yung pamilya ko (At first, I was shocked and sad, and I thought of my children and my family)," Anne recalls.

"But I never questioned God, asking 'why me?' Ang unang pumasok sa isip ko, may purpose si God sa buhay ko kaya lalaban ako (The first thought that came to my mind was that God has a purpose for my life, and that's why I will keep fighting)," she adds.

A life interrupted

Before cancer, Anne's days were simple yet purposeful. She tended to her children's needs—aged 16, six, and four—juggled work meetings, checked on the construction progress of their new home, and managed the small crises that naturally come with parenting.

"Work, alaga sa kids... the usual life of a mom and wife," Anne says when asked to describe her life before the diagnosis.

Stress and uncertainty were normal. "Masyado akong naging busy sa stress ng buhay, lagi kong naiisip parang may kulang (I became too busy with the stresses of life; I often felt that something was missing)," she shares.

But cancer, she would soon learn, was a storm she could never have imagined. On August 6, 2024, she was diagnosed with soft tissue sarcoma. Surgery came first. Two weeks later, on August 20, doctors confirmed it was Stage 3 Myxofibrosarcoma.