Living With No Timelines

The term cure is not typically used for patients with late-stage breast cancer, and Hollis will likely continue with oral chemotherapy every day for the rest of her life. Her regular visits to Mayo Clinic will also continue for the foreseeable future. And yet she and her family are determined to live in the moment.

Her greatest inspiration is her daughter, Hayes, who has been an "absolute trooper," Hollis says. But Hollis herself has become an inspiration. Thousands of friends and acquaintances are following her on Facebook, where she shares her cancer journey. She has also spoken to nursing students at the local college, to help them realize the impact they can have on patients.

Hollis and her family are also inspiring fundraisers for Mayo Clinic. In August, a Little League all-star team from the league her brother Rawson Livezey coaches made a $5,000 gift in honor of Hollis. And in February, Hollis made a gift herself, through her participation in the Donna Marathon Weekend — a weekend of running events in Jacksonville that raises money for breast cancer research at Mayo Clinic.

As she completed the run, which ends on the Mayo Clinic campus in Jacksonville, a familiar face was there to greet her. Dr. Moss was working that day and made his way to the finish line, which is just a short walk from the hospital room where he and his colleagues saved Hollis' life.

"I think that's been my greatest surprise about Mayo Clinic," says Pete, Hollis' father. "They just care so much for every patient. They're like family to us."

Hollis has already registered for the 2018 edition of the race. That's the plan: keep on running — keep on moving forward. "Our motto is 'attitude is everything,'" she says. "I don't want to know my timeline. I will fight this to my last breath."

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