Jenna Prandini saved the best for last in Tokyo, running a blistering third leg in the women’s 4 x 100 relay that secured the U.S. a silver medal in the event.
This is Prandini’s first ever Olympic medal and it seemed fitting that it would be in a team event given the loyalty and dedication she first showed as a child.
Read MorePrandini has remained a fierce advocate ever since as well, using her celebrity to spread breast cancer awareness.
“Since it’s breast cancer awareness month it’s only right to post a picture of my amazing mom:) So thankful that she won her fight! I don’t know what I’d do without you,” she wrote in one Instagram post.
She has also shared photos of the family at Race for the Cure events.
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Theresa accompanied her daughter to the 2016 Games in Rio, where Parandini placed 10th in the women’s 200m race.
Her mom could not accompany her to Tokyo due to the ongoing pandemic.
Prandini, 28, was already set to travel to Tokyo after finishing second in the 200m at the Olympic Trials, but then found herself in the middle of the biggest scandal to hit U.S. Track & Field in over a decade when she was selected to replace Sha’Carri Richardson in the women’s 100m event.
She placed 14th in the 100m and 13th in the 200m, but got one more shot at a spot on the medal stand when she was named to the 4 x 100m relay team.
The U.S. women were among five teams running neck-and-neck and well behind the front-running team from Jamaica when Prandini received the pass off in the race’s third leg. The California native quickly pulled away from the field and nearly caught up with the leaders as she expertly navigated the track’s tricky curve before executing a perfect pass off to teammate Gabby Thomas.
There goes Jamaica! 👋@TeamUSA grabs the SILVER in the women’s 4×100 relay. #TokyoOlympics pic.twitter.com/s0zA28oxqc
#TokyoOlympics (@NBCOlympics) August 6, 2021
The silver in what could likely be her last Olympic race is no doubt the perfect ending for Prandini, though not the goal she ever set to accomplish.
“I just want to be someone for other girls to look up to and show them that you can do it too,” she explained before heading to Tokyo.
Caring for Mom Through Breast Cancer
Jenna Prandini is not alone in caring for her mother through breast cancer at a young age.
Nicole Kidman has spoken in the past about how she helped her mother while she was fighting the disease.
Kidman was just 17 at the time, and even learned to be a masseuse so she could alleviate any pain her mother was feeling while she recovered from her cancer.
"I know, people are shocked [to learn that I'm a trained masseuse]. It's an interesting story because my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer when she was 45, I was 17, and I became a masseuse and did a course because we couldn't afford for her to get massages after her chemo and her radiation,” Kidman said in a 2020 interview with Byrdie.
She then explained her reason for caring for her mother by stating: “And as a daughter, it was my way of helping her through the most traumatic time for us as a family. It's a beautiful thing to be able to give.”
Being a Caregiver
Dr. Jayanthi Lea, a gynecologic oncologist at UT Southwestern Medical Center, previously told Survivor Net: "The role of the caregiver cannot be minimized. A caregiver can be anyone who's a spouse, any of your loved ones, and sometimes it's even a friend or somebody who lives close to you. I encourage caregivers to come in to visit with my patients because, in that way, the caregiver is also listening to the recommendations."
She went on to say: "What should be done in between these visits? Any changes in treatment plans? Any toxicities that we need to look out for? Changes in dietary habits, exercise, et cetera. I have a tremendous amount of respect for these individuals because I know the work is extremely hard," says Dr. Lea. "Caregivers not only take care of themselves, but they also have to take care of the patient. So it's very much a dual role."
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