In September, Mandy Lotttering was told she had Stage 3 Invasive Ductal Carcinoma and they had to act fast. Lottering is determined to not allow her breast cancer diagnosis bring her down, and remains adamant that a double-mastectomy will not dictate her life.

There's no good time to hear about a cancer diagnosis, but Lottering received the news while she was at work, at the hair salon she runs. Though she was caught off guard, she claims that the way in which she received the news has influenced her approach to her cancer journey. Lottering recalls, "I didn't have the luxury to fall apart, my clients expected me to carry on with the day as they didn't know about my diagnosis. I quickly collected myself and continued with the activity of the day. That taught me to carry on living no matter how much life tries to stop you."

For more on Lottering's strong will, click here.