South Bay Resident Natasha Diaz Turns a Life-Changing Diagnosis into a Story of Strength, Hope and Resilience
No day but today.
After returning from a vacation in Portugal in 2024, Natasha Diaz discovered a small lump in her right breast while showering.
“I already had my annual mammogram scheduled for a few weeks later,” she says. “Because I have dense breast tissue, additional ultrasound imaging was required, which revealed an abnormality. A biopsy was performed the following week, and my doctor told me I had breast cancer at age 43.”
Natasha was diagnosed with infiltrating lobular carcinoma (ILC), a type of breast cancer that begins in the milk-producing lobules and spreads into nearby breast tissue.
“I had spent all of 2024 getting healthy—changing my diet and taking care of my body—and I couldn’t understand why this was happening now,” she shares. “It felt unfair, like a punishment I didn’t deserve. I was terrified of dying, but beneath that fear was the quiet realization that I had to be strong. I wanted to live, and I was determined to fight.”
Natasha received treatment at UCLA under the care of two of its leading surgeons. She underwent a full mastectomy of her right breast, followed by immediate reconstruction the same day.
“I had a reconstruction procedure called a DIEP flap, where tissue is taken from the abdomen and transferred to the chest to create a new breast—an attempt to make my body feel whole again after so much had been taken,” she explains. “The recovery was long and painful—eight weeks of healing that tested my strength in ways I never expected.”
Today her fight continues in quieter but relentless ways. Natasha follows a daily medication regimen that she will continue for the next 10 years. Each month, she also receives a Lupron injection—an estrogen blocker—with challenging side effects, including daily hot flashes and extreme fatigue.
“I keep going because without these drugs, the risk of recurrence is higher,” Natasha says. “Even on the hardest days, I choose the discomfort, the exhaustion, the sacrifice—because I choose life. I’ve now been cancer-free for a little over a year, and I will celebrate every year that I can say that.”
Natasha first learned about Tour de Pier through her gym, Bay Club, during the time of her diagnosis. She shared her journey with her spin instructor, PK Kessel, who encouraged her to ride after seeing her return to the gym post-surgery—still healing, still fragile but determined.
Last year Natasha rode alongside her personal trainer, who helped her slowly rebuild strength after cancer had taken so much from her body.
“During the final song of the ride, ‘Pink Pony Club,’ PK brought me up on stage,” she recalls. “In that moment, I wasn’t just riding for myself; I was riding for every person who has faced this diagnosis. I wanted to share my story to raise awareness about the importance of early detection and annual checkups, because catching cancer early can truly save lives.”
She also rides in support of Cancer Support Community South Bay. After surgery, Natasha realized she needed more than physical healing. She needed connection.
“The organization offered free support groups for women newly diagnosed with breast cancer,” she says. “Sitting in those rooms, I was deeply moved by the strength of the women around me—women who showed up week after week carrying their fear, their scars and their resilience. Despite being reminded every day of what they were going through—or had already survived—they continued to move forward with courage.”
She continues, “Being part of that community reminded me that none of us fight this alone, and that even in the hardest moments, there is power in showing up … together.”
