The former Harlandale ISD teacher and mother of two is living with stage 4 metastatic breast cancer.
SAN ANTONIO — At 37 years old, Clara Reyes has undergone countless treatments while trying to hold onto the small, joyful moments with her daughters.
“I’m just here living every moment with my girls,” she said.
Reyes was 34 when she was diagnosed, just months after giving birth to her youngest daughter, Lexie. She discovered something was wrong while breastfeeding.
“I was bleeding from my breast, and I thought it was maybe an infection. Or just something that had to do with breastfeeding,” Reyes said. “That’s when we went to the hospital and they did all the scans.”
The scans revealed the cancer had already spread to her liver and bones.
The diagnosis forced Reyes to step away from her teaching position at Harlandale ISD — a role she says was her calling.
“It’s been hard. Even now, I still think about the kids,” she said. “When I was setting up the classroom for the following year, I tripped over a carpet and fell on my face. I got a big bruise. I felt like that was God telling me, ‘You know what, you need to stop.’”
Living on her husband’s income alone, Reyes and her family are navigating the growing financial strain of ongoing medical needs. They are turning to the community for support as they continue to fight together.
Still, Clara is determined to remain strong for her daughters, involving them in her journey and teaching them along the way.
“I try to be strong for my girls, and there are times when I can’t pick up things or I can’t bend over—and they help me,” she said. “Just be strong. Even though there’s times that it’s difficult, you just have to keep going and keep fighting.”
To support Clara’s GoFundMe, click here.