Tanya’s Testimony - Breast Cancer Support is Necessary

Can you imagine going to your annual appointment and that one appointment changes everything?

This is the story of Tanya Wilkins. At the age of 39, she went for her annual appointment in October 2012, and the doctors discovered a lump during her exam. The doctors immediately ordered a biopsy and found out it was breast cancer a few days later.

“I honestly had 10 years of good health and now my life is changing before my very eyes,” said Tanya.

During this time, Wilkins worked for Pfzier, a biopharmaceutical company that was very understanding of her diagnosis and gave her the time she needed for her health.

However, not a lot of women in our community have this same story.

Tanya was diagnosed with stage 1 breast cancer and went through multiple treatments. In the winter of 2012, she decided to undergo a double mastectomy in January and reconstructive surgery in June 2013.

“When a woman is going through breast cancer treatment or just knowing she has cancer, it is so powerful to have a tight support system. I received a lot of support from my coworker, Lisa Wright, and my coworkers who offered me space to share my story,” said Tanya.

With Tanya’s support system, she befriended a nurse who was a friend of her workout partner, and she walked her through the entire process of breast cancer because she was a survivor as well.

With Tanya’s condition, she didn’t go through chemotherapy or radiation, only a chemo pill. Also, she didn’t lose any of her hair during her treatments.

“One of the profound moments that kept me going was one of my supervisor’s wives, she handed a gift that she needed to give to me, she told me to hold it to my heart because it works miracle, and when I opened my hand it was a mustard seed,” she said. I will never forget that moment and I put the mustard seed on a necklace as a way to always remember what faith can do.”

Matthew 17:20

He replied, “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”