Armed for the fight

Susie,

Debbie sounds like an amazing woman. She is still caring for you because of the impact she had on your life to stress the importance of breast health. Thank you for being so transparent in your story.

Amy

This is not a story about a survivor of breast cancer, but more one about a women who endured the disease. Debbie was like a mother to me. I knew her since I was 7 years old when she married my neighbor, a dear friend of our family. Debbie took me in like a daughter and loved me like one. She was diagnosed with breast cancer a few years ago during a routine breast exam. After further tests it was confirmed, she had cancer. Debbie was the mother of 9 and 13 year old children at the time of her diagnosis. An energetic, hard headed, fun-loving, vibrant, hard-working, positive only begins to describe this woman. Her family (which included me) were her life! Like I said, she was like a mother to me-shortly after her diagnosis, she sat me down and asked me about what I was doing to ensure my health, had I had a breast and annual exam? When I told her no, she was upset with me especially since I was in my mid twenties. She insisted that I waste no time at all in making my appointment with my doctor and get checked out. See the thing is she knew about me past and the sexual abuse that I endured for years as a child. She knew the struggles and the fears that I was facing and offered to take me for my exam, she would hold my hand the whole time if I needed her to. She shared with me the importance of getting checked yearly and made me promise to do so. I have to say that it is because of her that I have faced my fears and am now faithful in getting checked annually to fight the fight against breast cancer! Though Debbie’s battle with breast cancer ended a little over a year ago now, she passed on to me the weapons of how to fight for if ever I need to battle, I am prepared and armed for the fight! Thank you, Debbie, You are a life saver! Love, Susie