Making Strides: Grandmother won't let metastatic breast cancer stop her from living

NORTHEAST PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- On Sunday, October 20, hundreds of people from throughout the area will gather in Cooper River Park for the annual Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk.

Aleta Phelps will be there for two causes - finding cures for metastatic cancer and sharing the word on the support she's gotten from the American Cancer Society.

Aleta had always been healthy.

"Growing up, my mother had us involved in all types of sports. And I did ballet, tap, and jazz," she says.

So when she always felt tired and developed an irritation under one breast, she never dreamed the diagnosis would be breast cancer.

"Before I even got home, I was receiving a call," she remembers.

"Life stopped for me right there. My world like kind of flipped on its axis," she says.

Suddenly, Aleta was juggling surgery, chemo, radiation, a career and family life.

She's grateful to Fox Chase Cancer Center and the American Cancer Society for getting her to treatments and easing her financial worries.

"I have a car loan, I have electric, I have insurance, I have everything. And they put me in touch with some really great resources to help me sustain that so I didn't become homeless," she says.

Aleta fought the cancer and won. But just two years later - and one month after her 26-year-old son was murdered - the cancer was back and had spread.

"I didn't want to think about anything. I didn't want to talk about anything. I just wanted to grieve," she recalls of that dark time.

But Aleta was still the primary caregiver for Aquil's son Yasin.

"He's my heartbeat. He keeps me going," she says through tears. "When I look at Yasin, I just, nothing else matters."

Medications, healthy habits and journaling also help Aleta deal with the metastatic cancer. She won't let it take over her life.

"People don't believe I'm sick, because I don't look sick. I don't act sick," she says defiantly.

And she focuses ahead to be a voice for other cancer patients.

Aleta urges others not to treat someone differently after they get a cancer diagnosis. What they really want and need is a little normalcy.

"When you can give your time, just sitting on the sofa, watching a movie, eating popcorn will suffice," she says.

You can join the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk on Sunday, October 20th at Jack Curtis Stadium in Cooper River Park in Pennsauken, New Jersey.

Registration and other events start at 8:30 a.m. And if you can't walk, you can donate to the teams.

For more information ,visit: https://secure.acsevents.org