By J.D. O’Gara

“Where are all the people living happily after their journey with cancer?”

That’s the question Angel Moscatelli, Franklin resident and author of her own biographical, Confessions of a Cancer Survivor: My Victory over Cancer, wants to know. In 2014, at 53, she was diagnosed with a rare cancer – monophasic synovial sarcoma – with a sarcoma in her lung the size of a grapefruit. Now, she’s NED, or “no evidence of disease.” Her focus, she says, was getting past the diagnoses and treatments and living her best life, and she’s created a website where others who’ve beat cancer can go to tell their stories of triumph, www.cancervictorystories.com.

“Cancer is not a death sentence, and I think the world needs to hear from cancer thrivers,” says Moscatelli. “What about the people who survive it? What are they doing, how are they doing it? I’m not trying to negate what somebody is going through, but it’s all about a vision of being healthy again,” says Moscatelli. “You can die of cancer, but you can also survive it.”

When she was diagnosed, Moscatelli initially chose to keep it private, purchasing a wig that resembled her natural look. Later, however, she opted to share her story to family and friends through a private portal hosted by Dana Farber for those undergoing treatment to update family and friends. During Covid, the Franklin mother of three grown daughters and grandmother of two dug deeper, writing down her vision of faith and healing. She found a publisher, Words of Passion, out of Georgia, which specializes in inspirational stories.

Moscatelli advocates speaking up for oneself. Treatment depends on the individual. 

“When you get diagnosed with any illness, you have a million people telling you what to do, 

And I’m saying do what’s right for you, what’s best for you to live your best life. There’s always something, life’s not perfect.”

An example Moscatelli gives is that when she was undergoing treatment, she had a port surgically installed for her meds. “A nurse wanted to give me an IV in the arms. She didn’t know how to use the port, but I told her, ‘I went through surgery to get this port in my body; you find a nurse who can do it!’ Every BODY is different, and the body is going to react differently,” continues Moscatelli. “No one treatment is the same for everyone.” 

She adds that attitude plays a big role.

“I do think if you think, ‘I’m going to die,’ you’re going to die. Someone may live a better quality of life, or someone may go into a mental depression. You can choose happiness or choose sadness. You can be your disease, or you can conquer it.”

Moscatelli hopes to hear from those conquerors at www.cancervictorystories.com. 

“There are no posts, yet, but it’s up and running,” she says. “It’s about sharing cancer thriver stories, sharing your victory stories in 250 words or less.” Moscatelli must approve any submissions, noting that she may edit them for length.

“How did you do it? How do you feel now? What would you tell others today? I want to give hope and inspiration to anyone who is diagnosed. (A diagnosis) does not have to equate to death. How can I make it my best life, until I am either cured, or whatever happens? I wanted to live every day to the fullest, to be here with my daughters. My desire is to give people more hope. It’s about living.”