Miranda was accompanied by her friend and roommate Sabrina to Turks and Caicos. In March of 2018, Miranda was diagnosed with triple-negative breast cancer. Miranda said, “My Victory Trip marks a new beginning. While this trauma will never escape me, I can use this new start to celebrate all I have accomplished, including my survival. This trip means I can start taking my life back and honor who I have become!” 

Miranda and her grandmother Hatsue took a trip to Japan to celebrate her victory over Hodgkin’s Lymphoma! “My grandma was able to reconnect with her family after 30 years and my mother and I were able to meet some of our family for the first time. I visited the home that my grandma grew up in and my grandma was able to visit her mother’s grave for the first time.”

Caleb and his fiancé Destiny took a trip to Ireland to celebrate his victory over testicular cancer. While on the trip, Caleb proposed to Destiny in front of a waterfall (her dream proposal)! “This trip gave me the opportunity to take a breather – to reflect on all that I’ve been through, how I have been impacted, and how my life has changed since my diagnosis. Not only that, but I was able to spend this time with my best friend who was with me through each step of the journey.”

Soncharay and her husband traveled to St. Lucia in the Caribbean after her fight with breast cancer! “This trip was an amazing experience that has opened up a new world for me. My husband and I were able to rekindle some romance after being so busy battling cancer. This trip was so tranquil, the people on the island were so friendly and the resort perfect.”

Ramona traveled with her husband and two children to the Disney Resort in Hawaii after battling cancer twice. She climbed to the top of Diamond Head Trail carrying her son! “It was a bittersweet victory because I was unable to complete this journey when I was 17. A week later after my family trip to Oahu I was diagnosed with a rare form of childhood Sarcoma that was similar to Ryan’s. I will always be grateful for you! The Victory Trip completed my journey.”

Gina, her husband and daughter visited Atlantis in the Bahamas after fighting breast cancer! “This trip meant so much to me, finding words are difficult. I think of it as more than a trip, it is a reintroduction to life. It is wonderful motivation to put the worries and pain behind you and focus on a new positive adventure going forward. When it all finally came down to the trip, it all lived up to my expectations and then some!”

Maria and her son Christian went on a Disney Cruise in the Caribbean to celebrate her victory over ovarion cancer. “My son and I were able to visit three different countries in 7 days which to me was a unique experience. This trip was blessing for us, we were able to spend quality time that was lost during this past year.”

Bali was Ryan’s top choice for his Victory Trip. From Nipomo, Ryan and wife Jillian adapted to the Bali culture after his battle with a cancerous sarcoma in his chest. “With my new 17 Strong family I was able to reflect on yet another serious time in my life. I was able to look my wife in the face and really tell her thank you. Victories are hard and take lots of work. They are earned!”

30-years-old from Santa Maria, Aydde is a lymphoma and thyroid cancer survivor. After a lot of thought, she chose Thailand for her trip and was joined by her fiancé Javier. “My Victory Trip was an incredible experience leading to a new chapter in my life. For once, I forgot about everything, even that I had cancer. The beauty of Thailand kept my mind busy enough.”

This bubbly 27-year-old suffers from multiple gastrointestinal diseases. She was so excited to go with her parents on a Disney Cruise and get the luxury treatment. “They blew that horn to sail away, and I knew that the best week was starting. Knowing the trip was coming helped me get through some really tough stuff and now I use all of the pictures, videos and memories to remind me how good life is. This trip was everything and more.”

A UCLA nurse, 36-year-old Nancy Sanchez is a breast cancer survivor and wanted to go on a spiritual journey through Rome with her mom. “This trip meant so much to me because I was able to enjoy and celebrate victory with my mom, who also was so deserving of this trip. The highlight of this trip was the spiritual experience in the Vatican and seeing the Pope with my mom. Just thinking about it gives me chills.”

Jo’el and his wife celebrated his victory in the Mayan Ruins of Mexico after his fight with testicular cancer. “I was willing to fight cancer but was not ready to have my family, friends and community have sit ringside to the beating I was going to take. 17 Strong gave me a light that I could show my kids and all that helped me get through those dark times. To be able to share my Victory Trip with my wife after all that she helped me with was the perfect way to end our fight together!”

From Omaha, Nebraska, Andrew wanted to go to a Dallas Cowboys football game. The 21-year-old, leukemia survivor invited his dad on his dream vacation. “This meant the world and more to me to be able to have the opportunity to go on a trip like this with my biggest supporter. The highlight of the trip was going down on the field during the pregame warm-ups and getting to see all the players up close.”

19-year-old Zachary from Braceville, Illinois beat brain cancer and took a trip with his dad to Maui. “This was a perfect way to get my mind of what had happened but at the same time show me that I won my battle. The highlight of the trip was spending time with my dad and the nature around the island, so many things to see but the pictures don’t actually capture the experience.”

Whitney and her daughter traveled to Hawaii after her fight with breast cancer. “As a single mom, being able to take my daughter who helped me with my recovery and through chemo and to close the door on cancer was so special. We celebrated the New Year in Hawaii, when it turned midnight we had a moment of fresh start. It was an amazing thing to let go of all the weight and heartaches that came with cancer.”

20-year-old, Kellen Franzen from Yankton, South Dakota overcame Hodgkin’s lymphoma. He and his friend attended drifting school in the Bay Area. 

Daniel and his girlfriend took a trip to Maui after he battled stage 4 head and neck cancer. “It meant the world to me to have anyone do something like that for me was highly appreciated and good for my mind and body to feel alive again. The highlight for us was the whales splashing and waving to us while we were on our Valentine’s dinner cruise, and it was amazing.”