GROVELAND, Fla. — Waking up to a nightmare sparked a Lake County real estate broker to volunteer for a major cause in Central Florida. 

What You Need To Know

  • Gigi Capria survived stage 3 breast cancer 

  • She found out she had cancer after finding a lump 16 years ago

  • She takes cancer research, fundraising and volunteering seriously

  • Nominate an Everyday Hero here

Gigi Capria is set up for a hoedown to benefit a cancer foundation, Bras for the Cause, in Lake County. Capria knows the fears of cancer herself, but also the prize of surviving it — life.

Capria’s life changed 16 years ago.

“I woke up one morning, and I do regular checkups. I do regular checkups and I woke up one morning and said, ‘Honey, what is this?’” Capria recalled. “And it was a lump, and it was a little larger that I had seen only the day before.”

After securing a doctor’s appointment and an ultrasound, she found out it was stage 3 breast cancer. Doctors performed a full concave mastectomy, followed by two efforts to have implants which didn’t work.

“They gave me a tummy tuck, took all the skin, rebuilt the right breast and then used my fat, and they did fat injections,” Capria said.

Capria said it took about two years to feel whole again, but she had a lot of family support.

“The good news on that is my husband didn’t care what I look like, he was just happy that I lasted,” Capria said.

That’s why Capria is determined to help fund research and find a cure for cancer. Capria said her story has helped set up the hoedown as part of the local chapter of Bras for the Cause, which benefits the Greater Clermont Cancer Foundation.