Woman Nearly Died in Crash Only to Find Cancerous Lump 2 Years Later. Now Healthy, She Says: ‘Enjoy Every Moment’

A California woman who miraculously survived a head-on collision later faced another life-altering challenge — a breast cancer diagnosis. Now cancer-free, Wendy Sanchez, 30, is sharing her story to inspire others confronting medical hardships.

“Enjoy every moment,” Sanchez says, reflecting on how her experiences reshaped her outlook. “Spend time with the people you love, and the people that care about you.”

A Near-Fatal Crash

On Easter Sunday, April 17, 2022, Sanchez and her husband, Jonathan Barba, 33, were driving along the Angeles Crest Highway in the San Gabriel Mountains when a devastating crash changed their lives. Sanchez has no memory of the accident.

“We were going down the mountain, and we just woke up at a hospital,” recalls Sanchez, who was airlifted to Huntington Health in Pasadena with severe injuries. “They said we were in a car accident.”

The collision left her with multiple broken bones and significant internal injuries. Surgeons removed two feet of her small intestine and part of her colon. Barba suffered fractures in his knee and foot, as well as organ damage. He was hospitalized for three weeks; Sanchez stayed for six.

At one point, she was placed on a ventilator — the longest the couple had ever been apart since their wedding day. “When he got better, I’d get worse,” she says. “They didn’t want to tell us how the other was doing because it would just make us both worse.”

Their emotional reunion brought everyone in the hospital room to tears.

Recovery and Resilience

Once back home in Inglewood, both faced a long road to recovery. Their families rotated nights helping them eat, bathe, and dress their wounds. By late summer, they slowly regained independence.

“We needed some calm because we didn’t have time to process everything,” Sanchez says.

By October 2023, Sanchez celebrated a major milestone — returning to work. Formerly a front desk supervisor at a hotel, she transitioned to a reservation coordinator role due to physical limitations. “That whole year, I felt like it was going great,” she says.

An Unexpected Diagnosis

But in October 2024, while applying oil to her scars, Sanchez discovered a lump in her breast. She immediately sensed it was cancer, despite her husband’s reassurance to wait for a doctor’s opinion.

Her instincts were right. Tests confirmed stage-one triple-positive ductal carcinoma.

“I thought I was going to die,” she recalls, but her doctors calmed her fears. She chose to undergo treatment at Huntington Health — the same hospital that saved her life after the crash.

According to her oncologist, Dr. Niki Tank, this aggressive form of breast cancer is more common in women under 50. Sanchez’s decision to act quickly may have saved her life, as women at average risk typically aren’t screened until age 45.

Losing Her Job — and Finding Strength

Just a week after informing her employer of her diagnosis, Sanchez learned she had been let go. “They told me they no longer needed my position,” she says. “I thought, ‘All of a sudden? That’s crazy.’”

Despite the setback, she had coverage through Medi-Cal, which paid for her treatments.

In May 2025, doctors removed the tumor, five lymph nodes, and both breasts. Chemotherapy followed, bringing one of the hardest emotional battles: hair loss. “Chemo was really bad,” she says. “It’s something I don’t wish upon anyone.”

Eventually, she decided to shave her head — documenting the moment as a symbol of courage.

Healing and Hope

On September 25, Sanchez underwent reconstructive surgery with implants. She chose a double mastectomy instead of a lumpectomy, which would have required radiation and complicated reconstruction if cancer returned.

“It’s a decision nobody wants to take, but I had to make one,” she says.

Throughout her recovery, Barba — who left his job at a car rental company — cared for her full-time. The couple leaned on each other and their family for strength.

Now cancer-free and healing, Sanchez plans to return to work soon and share her story to raise awareness during Breast Cancer Awareness Month. She’s also focusing on joy — taking trips to Disneyland and Dodger Stadium with her husband.

“I’m not leaving things for later,” she says. “Those are the places that make me happy.”