Natalie Rodriguez

My super mum

In 2017 our world changed forever.

That was the year my mum was diagnosed with a devastating illness — one that would test her strength, her spirit, and everyone who loved her. Not long after, she underwent a major and complex surgery called the Whipple procedure. We were told the reality in the most brutal terms: only around 2% of people survive it.  Hearing those words felt like the ground had been pulled from beneath us.

But my mum was never just “anyone.”

She faced that operation with courage I can’t even begin to describe. And somehow, against the odds, she made it through. That was only the beginning of her fight. For the next eight years, she battled through rounds of chemotherapy on and off — enduring so much pain, so much exhaustion, and so many moments that would have broken most people.

Yet she kept going.

She became one of the very few people to survive as long as she did with this cancer. Even now, it feels unbelievable. Not just because of the time she fought, but because of how she fought — with grace, strength, and a quiet determination that inspired everyone around her.

My mum was beautiful in every sense of the word. Not just on the outside, but in her heart, her kindness, her warmth, and the way she loved so deeply. Even in her hardest moments, she thought of others. Even when she was suffering, she carried herself with dignity.

Watching someone you love in that much pain is something I wouldn’t wish on anyone. It was heartbreaking to see her go through it — to know how much she was enduring. Cancer is a cruel, relentless disease. It takes so much. It asks too much.

But it never took her spirit.

She fought right until the very end.

And while we are left with a sadness that feels impossible to put into words, there is also pride — so much pride. Pride in the way she faced everything. Pride in the strength she showed. Pride in the love she gave.

There is no one like my mum. There never will be.

I will miss her every single day, in ways both big and small. In quiet moments and loud ones. In memories that make me smile and others that bring tears. But through it all, I will carry her with me — her strength, her love, and everything she taught me.

Mum, I will forever be proud of you.

I love you, always.