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SPRINGVILLE — Jessica Herbert wants her children to remember her as positive, goofy and fun.
A mother of two daughters and one on the way, Herbert strives daily to stay positive, though it can't always be easy while facing a terminal cancer diagnosis.
Herbert was diagnosed with grade three anaplastic astrocytoma in March at 26 weeks pregnant. After experiencing daily headaches before her pregnancy, Herbert went to the hospital the night she had a seizure and learned there was a mass on her right frontal lobe.
In order to start chemotherapy and radiation treatments earlier, doctors will induce labor for Herbert on July 17.
Surgeons removed most of the tumor two days after the diagnosis, but it was malignant. The doctors initially told Herbert she would have 18 to 36 months to live. Although they will never be able to completely get rid of the tumor, they may be able to control it for a long time.
"I feel like a lot of the recovery process has to do with your attitude and keeping a positive attitude," Herbert said. "I feel like if you get depressed, it's easier to let it kind of take over your life."
Herbert said it is her children who motivate her to get out of bed each morning. Although it is hard knowing she has cancer, she said her kids help keep life light and help her realize the true meaning of life.
Harlow, 5, and Harper, 3, have also kept a positive attitude during this trying time, another motivating factor for Herbert.
"I want to be around for them, to help raise them ... they're still so young," Herbert said. "So I'm hoping that I could stick around and do that and see their life experiences and experience stuff with them and create memories and everything."
Herbert's own mother died of breast cancer five years ago, so she understands that not having a mom around is really difficult. Although she doesn't always feel well, she wants to stay positive so they can remember her that way.
Herbert's brother and sister-in-law set up a YouCaring account for the Herberts, who plan to use the money raised so far to take a family trip to Paris.
Harlow has been enamored by Paris throughout her young life, and Herbert said she wants to be the one to take her there, hopefully at the beginning of next year.
"For me and my husband, we feel like world experiences are so much more important than anything else that we can do," Herbert said. "So that's our big goal and that's why that fundraising site was set up for us, so we can take advantage of that and spend as much time together as we possibly can."
A a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Herbert clings to her faith to help her get through the challenges. She feels people are given challenges for a reason and they shouldn't sit and wonder why all the time.
"I think positivity is always something that's so important and needs to be focused on when people are facing trials, even though it might seem impossible."
Herbert's husband, Eric, said this is one of the hardest things they've been through, but said his wife motivates him to have the same positive attitude.
"She's what holds our family together," Eric Herbert said. "If it wasn't for her and for her strength and ... her positivity, then I have no idea where we'd be right now."
