Pacific Palisades couple stays positive despite cancer diagnosis and losing homes to two fires

When the fires ripped through Pacific Palisades last January, Heather and Michael Lyle lost their second home to a wildfire. In the midst of recovery, Heather got words she never expected she would hear: "You have cancer, for a third time."

CBS LA first met Heather Lyle and her husband a few days after their second was destroyed. The couple had lost their first home in the 191 Topanga Canyon Fire.

Losing everything a second time, she escaped with just a few precious possessions.

"The actual PTSD that all my neighbors have calmed down somewhat, so that feels good," Heather Lyle said.

 Heather Lyle always finds the good, even when the bad, feels like it can't get any worse.

A lymphoma and breast cancer survivor, she gets regular mammograms. Just one year after clear results, she was told she had cancer again.

"I was angry more than anything," Heather Lyle said. "I was like, you've got to be kidding me."

Living out of a temporary apartment, the couple's focus went from wildfire recovery to battling aggressive triple-negative breast cancer.

 "How much resilience do I have to show as a human being?" Heather Lyle said.

Heather underwent another mastectomy and began chemotherapy. Her husband, Michael, was by her side through it all.

"We got the news. I didn't like the news, but I knew what I was going to have to do," Michael Lyle said. "I worked on a lot of episodic medical shows, so I know my way around a hospital."

Michael Lyle said his family is using humor to help heal their wounds.

Alongside humor is music and Heather's innate need to help others, even in hardship.

"Even though I was going through the fire, even the last time I had cancer, every time I could help someone just pulls me out of myself and makes me feel wonderful," Heather Lyle said.

They credit support from their Pacific Palisades community. They are thankful for neighbors and friends who stepped up. With plans to eventually rebuild, they're also looking forward to traveling and figuring out what's next.

"I don't quite know what that's going to look like yet, but I am up for the adventure," Heather Lyle said.

Heather picked up her ukulele for the first time in five months to play a song reminding everyone to look for the good, even when all hope seems lost.

 "I think what we all need to know is that the human spirit is so resilient, within all of us is the ability for us to really survive anything," Heather Lyle said.

Heather is now in remission and is recovering. She had to put her music lessons on hold, but said she is looking forward to one day welcoming students back in to continue teaching.