jill and ilene lost their mother to cancer at the age of 51.hey turn 55 and 52. >> i felt we didn't get past there. it doesn't make a lot of sense. somehow, you just don't think you will get beyond where your mom goes. >> reporter: not only have they passed that mark they have done it as cancer survivors. >> i think it was the scariest thing i heard. >> reporter: ilene was diagnosed with thyroid cancer in 2013. a month later, a call from jill. >> i could not believe i had the same diagnosis as her. we could not believe it happened to her and then it happened to me. it is unusual. >> the same cancer? >> the same type. >> reporter: doctors could not explain the rare coincidence, but for jill and ilene was not why they had cancer but how they handled it. like everything in their lives, they tackled it together. >> if you are scared and someone holds your hand you are a little less scared. we were there. >> it means everything. i don't think i had a moment of worry or a moment of concern just knowing she was there. it really -- i knew everything wo

a question from ilene brady. >> hi. welcome, senator. how can the clients that i work with at a homeless shelter and soup kitchen be part of the political process when they're totally convinced that money buys campaigns? they're very discouraged, and unfortunately, i think it contributes to the huge percentage that don't vote. >> ilene, that is an enormously important question. i think it's not only homeless people -- and thank you and congratulations for your work -- taking care of the homeless and the most vulnerable people of society. it is not just homeless people who think the deck is stacked against them. it is tens of millions of people who understand that while they may have the right to vote, billionaires can spend hundreds of millions of dollars and buy and sell politicians. changing that is not going to become easy. if i run for president, that certainly would be my major mission. i would hope that regardless of our political point of view, whatever it may be no american is happy when 63% of the people did not participate in t