When life should have been ripe with possibilities, Mandy Murry instead faced a devastating diagnosis. Murry was diagnosed with cervical cancer when she was 22. She had her cervix and uterus removed to treat it. Her doctor believes the cancer was caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV).

“I was expected to have that ‘happily ever after’ story of having my own kids,” says Murry, age 41, who grew up in Utah and now lives in North Carolina. “I was not prepared for the depth of healing I needed after the surgery. Without a uterus, I felt ‘less than.’ I did not feel worthy of happiness. I did not choose HPV. It was given to me due to unforeseen circumstances. The vaccine did not exist when I was young so this could have been prevented.”