🪩 The last disco

Five years ago, Deltra James was diagnosed with stage 4 triple-negative metastatic breast cancer. The mom of five had just started preparing her curriculum for another homeschooling year when her world was flipped upside down.

• “I wasn’t familiar with the term ‘metastatic,” she shared with the Washington Post of her diagnosis, “But I understood what Stage 4 meant, and there isn’t a Stage 5.” 
• She was only 33.

When the going gets tough... While her diagnosis didn’t look promising, Deltra has spent the last five years focusing on finding every ounce of joy that she can.

• She prioritizes time with her daughters every day. She left her toxic marriage soon after starting chemotherapy and has started dating again despite her illness. She takes part in and volunteers for cancer support communities and camps around the country. And most recently, she threw a five-year “Cancerversary” disco-party extravaganza.

Welcome to the Disco: Deltra wasn’t even sure she would live five-years following her diagnosis, so the fact that she's still here is something major to celebrate. 

She marked the milestone by inviting her close family and friends to boogie the night away at a 1970’s-themed disco party.

• Deltra walked into the venue strutting to Elton John’s I’m Still Standing, before greeting the people closest to her on this journey, including her dad, daughters, and boyfriend of three years.
• The cancer-fighter and her guests had a soul train line around the venue, chowed down on cupcakes adorned with pink disco balls, and shared their favorite memories together.

“I feel so popular today,” Deltra gushed the day of the party. “I knew I wanted to celebrate this day and making it this far.”

❤️‍🩹 Looking ahead... While Deltra knows she is approaching the end of her life, she’s taking this time to ensure her daughters know how loved they are, and are set up for success after her passing. She’s also pouring as much joy and care as she can into her relationships while she’s still Earth-side.

One final word of advice from the empowered mom: “We should not be waiting for funerals to say lovely things to the people we care about!”