Mother of 2 survives breast cancer, fulfills lifelong dream of becoming a pharmacist

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- As a young girl, 51-year-old Reyna Raya developed a great respect for pharmacists. In her East Los Angeles neighborhood, the pharmacist was the person people trusted most.

"As an immigrant, we didn't have health insurance. So my mother went to pharmacists. That's who were our health providers," Raya said.

It became her lifelong dream to go to USC's School of Pharmacy. But as a young, single mother of two, Raya had to put her dreams on hold.

In her mid-forties, she finished college and applied to USC. But then she discovered a lump. Doctors diagnosed her with an aggressive stage two breast cancer.

One thought carried her through the months of chemotherapy: "How do I make this experience count so that someone else doesn't have to go through this?"

Throughout her grueling treatment, Raya stayed on schedule with her school work.

"This was a forty year dream, and I thought, 'I cannot let cancer take that away from me,'" Raya said.

Now, she's in her third year at USC.

"For me, it is full circle that I am at the school that is down the street from where my family first came to this country," Raya said.

Every year, Raya organizes "Rock the Pink" to teach others in her industry about the emotional challenges breast cancer patients face. Her story of determination inspires her fellow students.

"'Rock the Pink' really is a very bonding experience. Everybody bonds, whether you're a breast cancer survivor or not," said Sophia Constantine, who studies pharmacy at USC.

"We are going to be healthcare professionals," Raya said. "When they get out there, I want them to have that empathy."