Aberdeen community honors local breast cancer survivors
The Second Annual Breast Cancer Awareness Walk at Aberdeen Elementary promotes breast cancer awareness, and honors community survivors.
ABERDEEN, Miss. (WCBI) – When Dr. Gale Cook was diagnosed with breast cancer, her life was flipped upside down.
“It just kind of reset my life,” Dr. Cook said. “I was at the stage where I was at the apex of my career. So, therefore, I went from a very active stage to a very calm, surreal stage.”
Now, 11 years cancer-free, Dr. Cook said she has the community to thank for helping along her healing journey.
Dr. Cook said she’s grateful for that support, and for her healing.
“And now that I’m healed, I’m very grateful for the healing,” Dr. Cook said. “And for all the help that I received from the doctors, all my family, from friends, the church. So, it was a community effort in my healing journey.”
One breast cancer survivor, Paulette Walker said she also got through with support from her community.
“I got through it with a lot of support, friends and family,” Walker said. “And now I’m eight years breast cancer free.”
Alfreda Gardner, another breast cancer survivor, said her faith and family got her through.
“Depending on the faith that I’ve been taught from childhood gave me my encouragement and to fight through this,” Gardner said. “And family was there. Family, friends, church family.”
To bring awareness to breast cancer, and to celebrate community survivors, Aberdeen Elementary School hosted its Second Annual Breast Cancer Walk.
Walker said seeing everyone wear pink fills her heart.
“When the month of October comes, and everyone has on pink,” Walker said. “And I feel like it’s a special day to me because I’m a breast cancer survivor.”
Dr. Natasha Cheeks, the Aberdeen Elementary School principal said the walk means the world to her.
“No matter the differences, no matter what’s going on, for all of us to come together and support our survivors and to bring awareness to breast cancer- it means a lot to me,” Walker said.
Walker and Gardner share advice for those making the journey.
“I just want to tell them to keep the faith, and keep trying,” Walker said.
“Don’t give up,” Gardner said. “Listen to your doctors. Pray. Keep family close. You can get through.”
There are more than 4 million breast cancer survivors in the US according to the The American Cancer Society.
It also states women in the US have a one in eight chance of developing breast cancer.
