s u r v i v o r s , xo .

Minnie Hines-Chen

"Women your age don't get breast cancer," someone told Minnie Hines-Chen when she found a lump in her breast during her first year of college. But at the end of her second year, she was diagnosed with the disease. And just a few weeks later, she was accepted into nursing school.

Determined not to waste energy on anger, fear, or resentment, Minnie chose to have a bilateral mastectomy and an intense chemotherapy regimen so she could get back on track with schooling as soon as possible. "There was only room for one enemy in this battle," she says, "and I knew I needed all my strength to conquer it."

"Being only 20 years old, all the breast cancer survivors I met were older. But it was nice," she says, "because I had strong ladies to look up to, and our shared experience opened up doors and relationships that I never knew existed."

Minnie also had good friends keeping her busy, and her strong will helped her mom keep the faith that her daughter would make it through.

I’m here and able
and that’s what
matters most.

As soon as she was able, Minnie began telling her story and educating others about her experience. She began speaking at conferences and became a Reach to Recovery volunteer to encourage newly diagnosed patients.

Minnie says that she still deals with the stigma associated with cancer. "So many people are uneducated about the disease and the wonderful people who are fighting it every day," she says. "I'm glad I can bring wisdom to those around me. I still have scars from my chemo port, mastectomy, and reconstruction. But I'm here and able, and that's what matters most."

Minnie reached her goal of becoming a nurse and always keeps her positive attitude, despite the long-term effects of her cancer treatment. "I have to take tamoxifen daily, get monthly injections, and am in artificial menopause," she explains. "I can't have children, which puts a damper on my dreams. But until I learn what God has planned for me, I will keep serving others with compassion, laughing with my friends and family, and living for this moment every day.

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Tamika Felder

Diagnosed with cervical cancer at age 25, Tamika Felder had to deal with the stigma of a disease linked to an STD.
"I was surrounded by people who were very supportive and wonderful. But there were also a few people who said cruel things because my cancer was linked to a sexually transmitted virus," she recalls. "That was painful, and those people either ended up being cut out of my life or their place in my life was minimal."
Tamika had to have her cervix and uterus removed, and had chemotherapy and radiation to kill all the cancer cells. To this day, the most difficult part of the experience was realizing she'd never be able to give birth to a child. But financial strain was also an issue, due to all the medical expenses. Before cancer, she had been making a name for herself in the broadcasting industry, but after her diagnosis she was unable to pay her bills. With her career on hold, issues with money, and her social outlets affected, Tamika gave up on life.
"It's so easy to give up," she says. "I remember kissing my mom and my best friend goodbye in the hospital days after my surgery. The pain was unbearable and I just wanted it to be over with. But they wouldn't let me give up. They provided the strength I needed to continue fighting. And eventually, I realized cancer didn't have to be a death sentence."
Tamika made the decision to face the disease head on, and she fought for her life as hard as she could. If she lost her life, she decided, it wouldn't be because she gave up. Today, 10 years after her surgery and treatment, Tamika is once again working in broadcasting, as a television reporter and producer in Washington, D.C.
"I had an amazing support network and knew that I was in good hands with my health care," she says. "So my coping strategies became research and understanding for my disease. The more I learned, the more I was determined to beat it."

I know that tomorrow is truly not promised. That
life can change in an instant, and that it’s up to me to make a difference.

But at the same time, she's thankful to be here every day, aware that tomorrow isn't guaranteed. She started Tamika and Friends , an advocacy organization, to offer financial help to women with cervical cancer and to educate people about the disease. Tamika now reaches women on a national level, getting the word out and giving support.
"Cancer completely changed my life," she says. "Once I finally embraced it and became a cancer advocate, it truly healed me, inside and out. My cancer experience has defined who I am now as a person. I know that tomorrow is truly not promised. That life can change in an instant, and that it's up to me to make a difference."

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Matthew Zachary

Matthew Zachary started playing piano at age 11. He wanted to be a Hollywood composer and studied music in college. But in 1995, when Matt was a senior, he began losing motor coordination in his left hand and had to give up his musical ambitions. A massive tumor that generally occurs in children under the age of 6 was found in his brain.
Matt had brain surgery and extensive radiation but refused chemotherapy because he wanted to be able to continue to play the piano. One of the drugs he was offered would have caused peripheral neuropathy, a side effect he wasn’t willing to endure for the rest of his life. Music was his anchor, and he made every effort to sit down at the piano and play, even if only just for minutes a day.
"In spite of losing the ability to use my left hand, music was a grounding force in a sea of chaos," he says. "It was the only thing I had control over, and it made me happy."

Cancer gave me the confidence to take risks,
and the belief that I could accomplish anything.

But, once he finished treatment, he felt jaded and angry. There were no support groups or internet resources for people like him, cancer survivors in their 20s. And at the time, the word survivorshipdidn't really exist within the oncology community. After surgery and treatments, the doctors gave him little guidance or planning for what to do next in life.
"I know all about that isolation and fear. The feeling of, 'What am I going to do for the rest of my life?'" he says. "I had lots of love and support from my friends and family, but I was desperate for peer support from other young adult patients and survivors who could relate to exactly what I was going through."
As timing would have it, after making a career in advertising, Matt recorded a CD of his own compositions to help him heal and put closure to his cancer. Through a series of events, the project evolved into his becoming an advocate and spokesman for young adults with cancer. Now his organization, the I’m Too Young For This! Cancer Foundation , helps people in their 20s and 30s who have the disease get the support and information he felt he didn’t have. He is also passionate about calling attention to the lack of clinical research in this population.
"Cancer made me a better person," he explains, "in that it gave me permission to live life to the fullest, the confidence to take risks, and the belief that I could accomplish anything."

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Gary Johnson

When Gary Johnson went in for surgery to remove a cancerous prostate, doctors discovered that the cancer had already spread to his lymph nodes. Now he's on a treatment that is designed to hold the cancer cells in check for as long as possible. "Since there's no cure for my cancer, my challenge is to live as long and as well as I can," says Gary.

Unwilling to sit back and worry, he and his wife Marlys focus on being proactive in facing down the disease. They have gathered a team of medical professionals, family, friends, and other cancer survivors as a support system. Gary has also changed his lifestyle—he's getting more exercise, getting better nutrition, and finding ways to manage his stress.

My challenge
is to live as long
and as well as I can.

Gary's cancer diagnosis completely changed the priorities in his life. He's now focused on family, faith, and the outdoors. He and Marlys established the 501(c)(3) non-profit Cancer Adventures , and travel across the United States, telling their story to cancer survivors, students, and health professionals.

"Not knowing what the future holds is the hardest part," Gary said recently. "The three things getting me through every day are my faith, my wife, and having this purpose to help others. Having a purpose has turned a negative into a positive."

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Staci Wright

Staci Wright was in the eighth grade when she began having terrible headaches. The 13-year-old girl had been healthy, happy, and active all her life, playing soccer since kindergarten. But life changed overnight when she was diagnosed with Ewing sarcoma, a type of bone cancer, in her skull.
The treatment was 10 months of chemotherapy, along with 5 weeks of radiation. "For me, the hardest part of the cancer battle was that my pain was hurting my whole family," she recalls. "It put so much stress on my parents and older brother. Luckily my sister was too young to really realize what was going on."
During it all, she tried to stay positive and upbeat, doing her best to live life as a normal kid. The support of her family and friends helped her get through many painful times during the year. But even so, there were days when she felt overwhelmed.
"Sometimes it felt like I was all by myself in this battle," she says. "I realized others couldn't fathom what I was going through, and so there were times when I just wanted to be left alone."
Hair loss from chemotherapy isn't easy for any patient. But for a teenage girl, it can be devastating. Staci felt sad and depressed with losing her hair and didn't want to go to school. "I had a really hard time with my hair loss. But there was nothing I could do about it except move on to more important things, like surviving," she says. Unfortunately Katie's radiation killed all the hair cells on a patch of skin on the back of her head, causing her hair loss to be permanent.
Fortunately her mother, Debbie, learned of a hair system that stays in place, made of real hair attached to material that looks like a scalp. Staci loved her new hair but was concerned about the other kids she met at the children's hospital who were still dealing with baldness. "It's tough for people my age to lose their hair," she says. "They lose their self-esteem with it."

Life is something
that can’t be
taken for granted.

That's when Staci and Debbie decided to do something to help these kids. They established the Angel Hair Foundation , a non-profit organization that purchases hair systems for kids and teens. Through hard work and getting the word out, the foundation is thriving and helping kids with cancer everywhere feel better about losing their hair.
Staci is now doing well, playing soccer, hanging out with her friends, and attending the University of Oregon. She believes she'll always have insecurities about her permanent hair loss but trusts that she'll know how to deal with them when they arise. She's excited about what life has to bring to her and plans to become a dietician. More important, she knows that true friends will love her no matter what her hair looks like.
"To me, life is something that can't be taken for granted. I can't be that little shy girl that doesn't push the limit every once in a while," she says. "I often think about how cancer affected my life, about how I developed as a person through this experience. Cancer made me realize what is important in life and made me the more mature person I am today.  Carpé diem!"

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Commentary ; 

Cancer survivors are warriors. They fight hard to acheive the war of battling cancer. The above stories gave insight on what cancer patients go through. Their stories can influence individuals to have hope within themselves if they are diagnosed with any type of cancer. The cancer survivors are fighters and they strive to to continue and maintain a healthy life.