Held Through It All: A Memoir

Some things you survive.
Some things survive you.

For most of her life, Tena Hughes believed she wasn't enough. Not pretty enough. Not worthy enough. Not lovable enough without proving it first. Then came a diagnosis of Stage IV Melanoma, a divorce, and her entire life uprooted.

Held Through It All is for every woman who has ever made herself smaller to keep the peace. For every person sitting in a doctor’s office wondering if they have the strength for one more treatment. For anyone who has looked in the mirror and not recognized the person looking back.

It is the story of what it costs to keep believing you are not worth saving...
and what happens when you finally stop.

About the Author:
Tena Hughes is a first-time author, public speaker, and stage 4 melanoma survivor living in Scottsdale, Arizona—her lifelong home. As the first patient in Arizona to receive FDA-approved TIL therapy for melanoma, her story has been featured by Daily Mail, The Skin Cancer Foundation, Inside Edition, and local news organizations. She began sharing her cancer journey on TikTok in 2021 and has built a community of 28,000 followers who have walked every step of this journey alongside her. She is the mother of four sons and is currently managing stage 4 melanoma while living fully—going to the gym, tending to her roses, and watching sunsets.