Ashley was diagnosed with stage III breast cancer, that is sure to lead her to her death, at age 15. She was orphaned when her mother died only a week and a half after taking her home from the hospital. Her father had abandoned them the moment he found out about his daughter.
She is the government's responsibility now. Ashley has been dealing with so many new drug trials in an attempt to cure her that she's barely left the hospital since diagnosed. Every time one trial was deemed ineffective, another was already there for her to try. She was the government's guinea pig. Anything to stay alive, right? To be honest, she wouldn't mind dying right about now.
Ashely was only able to keep two friends from school, Tyler and Trenton. She met Amanda in the hospital a year ago and, since then, the four have been inseparable. Though Trenton and Tyler are perfectly healthy, they are still bullied at school for being friends with "that cancer girl," but they don't mind, calming Ashley down when she threatens to go "beat them until their guts are spilling from their anuses."
Now 17, almost 18, she is a strong, feisty young woman, ready to take on anyone, if her body would let her. On top of her deadly illness, her treatment and care will be cut off in a few weeks when she turns 18.
All is as good as it can be when you live with a cancer that is sure to kill you until tragedy strikes her in the way she didn't expect.