Pop icon Taylor Swift might have just made fans’ quarantines a little better with her new surprise album Folklore, which she released on July 23rd. Over the past year, Swift has been experiencing a devastating challenge in coping with her mother’s battle with cancer, but sometimes turning to music can help
Folklore features 16 new songs including “cardigan,” which Swift released a music video for in tandem with the album drop. The album itself is a bit different than Swift’s previous work, as the new project is reminiscent of more dreamy and indie themes.
Read MoreMothers And Daughters Taking On Cancer Together
When battling cancer, family support can make a world of difference. For many mothers, their children served as the ultimate cheerleaders in advocating for their recovery.
When Millie Torchia was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer, the first thing she thought about was what this would mean for her three daughters. While some parents choose to keep their disease a secret from their children in order to not scare them, Torchia took a different approach. She sat her daughters down and explained her diagnosis, and they ended up being her greatest support system.
“I felt so relieved sharing," Millie says. "My 10-year-old was the one that understood the most. And I felt much more comfortable, because sometimes I would just sit at home and cry for no reason, but they would come and comfort me. They would come and give me a hug. My 10-year-old would say, 'Think happy thoughts, Mommy.' My daughters are my strength."
For mother-daughter duo Melissa Berry and Erica Stolper, Erica was only seven years old when her mother Melissa was diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer. While the news was understandably devastating for the two of them, it turned out to be a special bonding experience. Melissa knew she would eventually lose her hair while undergoing chemotherapy treatments, so to prepare, she decided to buzz her hair off. She knew Erica had dreams of being a hairdresser, she she enlisted her help to style her new look.
“She looks at me, goes, ‘do you want to shave my head?’ It was like a dream come true,” Erica says. “It was a big bonding moment that I think we had, because it was the first, I think, first step that she really took into her whole journey. It was cool to be a part of with her. I think it was really brave of [her] to just do it, to just shave it off. That takes a lot of courage to do. She’s just always there for me whenever something goes wrong, and I think we’re both there for each other.”
Mother-daughter team Erica and Melissa grew closer during Melissa’s breast cancer treatment
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