Saima Hirani is a newlywed, first and foremost. A truly beaming young bride, just now celebrating her first wedding anniversary. Husband Altaf, by her side, is attentive and protective…and now a caregiver. They are both from Pakistan, and have been in the U.S. just three years. Saima is also a medical school graduate, a sheepish fan of TV shows like Burn Notice and CSI, and is now fighting breast cancer.

Theirs is an arranged marriage of sorts, but with a western twist. Their families are neighbors in Pakistan who learned they both had grown children in Georgia. Altaf’s mom kept encouraging him to look up Saima. No way, thought Altaf. But just one meeting and two dates later, he was ready to marry her and mom gets credit for being right.

Altaf and Saima came to America individually, for opportunity and continued education. Saima plans to complete her residency and take the boards to obtain a U.S. medical license. But in November 2008, the plan changed.

"I found a lump while showering," she recalls. Tests confirmed breast cancer and a lumpectomy was scheduled. Doctors also removed 13 lymph nodes; eight were cancerous. Then, genetic testing showed Saima carried the BRCA2 gene, which puts her at much greater risk for developing breast cancer. Given that, her doctor recommended a bilateral mastectomy, followed by reconstructive surgery, and Saima and Altaf concurred.

Right now, she is in the midst of chemo – surgery and additional treatment will follow. And despite it all, both Saima and Altaf sprinkle their conversation with words like "happy" and "fortunate."

"In Pakistan, the treatment is available, but the support and the community is not," explains Saima. "Every person I’ve met from this disease, I learn from them. They teach you and they guide you, giving you time and support. I love this volunteerism which people have here."

"Every day is different. We have to live for a day…not for the future or next week. So every day when you wake up, you have to start your new life and know it will be okay."

Available treatment, a supportive partner and her faith – Saima "finds happiness from all these things. I am learning that if you have cancer, still you will have a life. This is giving me strength."