EAST PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) — A brave and inspirational Providence woman is determined to stay positive and help others in the wake of a difficult and rare diagnosis.

Sarah Downey, 23, was in her last semester at Providence College in fall 2023 when she was diagnosed with an ultra rare cancer called cardiac angiosarcoma.

Fewer than one in a million people are diagnosed with it each year. It doesn't have specific, defining symptoms, so for Sarah, the path to diagnosis was a long and frustrating one that took about a year.

She advocated for herself over and over again, from doctor's visit to doctor's visit, and between three different hospitals, until she finally got an answer.

Scans showed a tumor sitting right on her heart, compressing it and the surrounding vessels. Her doctor, Dr. A

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