Merchants

Breast Cancer not a Death Sentence
Two Villa Rica women speak about their experience

      Tracy Kenyon was barely a teenager when cancer touched her life. Her mom, Linnie Burnette Andrews, developed breast cancer in her late 30s. Because she was a single parent and afraid of what the future would hold for her daughter, Tracy’s mom chose to ignore the early signs of breast cancer.
     Her fear was so overwhelming that she waited more than two years before seeking help. Not until she developed an open sore did her mother seek medical care and receive a diagnosis of cancer. Over the next three years, the cancer progressed from breast to bone.
     After surgeries and cancer treatments, she suffered for eight more years before passing away when Tracy was 22 years old. “She was afraid,” Tracy says. “She was thinking about being the only provider for me, and she didn’t know what she would do if she had cancer. Had she gone to the doctor sooner, it would have certainly raised her chances of survival.”
     Tracy believes her mother’s battle with cancer helped motivate her to open New Life Fitness in Villa Rica in December 2005. “The experience with my mom’s illness hugely impacted my life. The Lord gave me the ‘building blocks’ for this business through my mom’s battle with cancer,” Tracy says. “Women are so busy taking care of others that they often don’t take care of themselves,” she adds.      New Life Fitness is an all-women gym with an open format. Areas for exercise classes, cardio equipment and weight-bearing exercise equipment are well organized in a brightly lit room with high ceilings. The staff is known for personal service and individual attention. They tell children that their moms are coming to the gym to make their hearts healthy. “We try to provide a very encouraging environment. Sometimes you need encouragement, because you really didn’t want to come through the door,” Tracy says.
     When the opportunity arose to participate in the 2007 “Merchants Making a Difference” program, coordinated by Tanner Medical Foundation, Tracy gladly became involved in the effort to promote early detection of breast cancer. New Life Fitness will donate a portion of enrollment fees for all new members who join the gym during the month of October, which is “Breast Cancer Awareness Month”. Proceeds from “Merchants Making a Difference” will help provide mammogram screenings at Tanner Women’s Center at Villa Rica for women who cannot afford these important tests for early detection of breast cancer.
     “Especially for breast cancer survivors, regular exercise, including weight-bearing exercise is so important,” Tracy states. “Our gym offers more than just the hydraulic circuit. Women need really good cardio during the day, also,” she says.
     Breast cancer survivor and New Life Fitness member, Mindy Holm, agrees that women need to listen to their bodies and be aggressive about taking care of themselves. She says, “When I found out I had breast cancer at age 32, I just hit the floor. After I had a really good cry, I knelt down and prayed. I asked the Lord to help me through this journey, because I had no control over what was happening. From that point on I had the strength to fight,” she says positively.
     Mindy discovered a pea-size lump in her breast that became extremely painful over the next two months. Her children were ages 5 and 8 at the time. After a mammogram, sonogram and biopsy, she learned that she had breast cancer. A double mastectomy was followed by chemotherapy and other infusion therapy to discourage the return of cancer to other parts of her body. She continued to fight.
     “For a good year, I lost my hair and my dignity, but I had this inner strength. Through it all, I was thankful for every breath I took, because I was here with my babies. There is such power in positive thinking and prayer. That’s what got me through,” Mindy says.
     She finished chemotherapy about a year ago and is pleased to see that her energy level is up. Now, she meets regularly with two other young women who are also experiencing breast cancer treatment. Her children are working on a book to help other children understand more about cancer when it affects their families. “I have a passion to make people feel good,” Mindy says with a warm smile. “Cancer is not a death sentence. You can fight it. When you do fight it, you are an inspiration to your family and to others. No matter what happens, my children will remember my positive attitude and my fight.”
     For more information about the breast cancer support group, “Survivors Unite”, contact Mindy Holm at 404.788.4286. To support “Merchants Making a Difference” and early detection of breast cancer, visit the more than 50 merchants in Villa Rica and Bremen who are participating in the program during the month of October. For more information about the 2007 program, contact Tanner Medical Foundation at 770.836.9871.