Early cancer detection can help prevent prolonged, painful treatments
5:37 p.m. Friday, February 8, 2008
Debay Brant invited me to play with her bell choir. The song called Prayer is special to her. It's part of what got her through her bout with breast cancer.
"I thought I felt a lump in my right breast...He said, 'you need to get to the surgeon right away'," Debay said.
Her children were 3, 7 and 9, she was facing cancer and a partial mastectomy
"I had a fear of leaving my kids motherless, which was really tough," she said.
She waited till she'd gone through the surgery to tell her lifelong friends in the bell choir.
"She made me realize how strong and well a young person can mentor an old person," friend Deb Southerland said. "It broke my heart, it just broke my heart because it think of her more like my own kids and I would have rather gone through it myself than have her go through it."
She's also shaped the way her own children, like John, view cancer and their part to help.
"And we've been participating in the race against breast cancer on a yearly basis," son John Brant said.
Cancer-free for nine year's this April 1st, she's grateful for everything that helped her on this journey.
"I pulled out the prayer which is St. Patrick's prayer because the surgery on St. Pat's Day. It's about God being before you, beside you, all around you," Debay said.
For her, it was a journey that was less involved than some, a surgery, no painful chemo and no hair loss, but her path isn't over as she continues her message to help others.
"Early detection is probably what saved my life and saved me from having to go through further treatment," she said.
Debay is on the committee for the Race against Breast Cancer here in Topeka and volunteers with Reach to Recovery, helping women going through breast cancer diagnosis.
Friend2Friend Breast Cancer Awareness
49 News has partnered with Lawrence Memorial Hospital to encourage you to adopt measures that lead to early detection. One in eight women is affected with breast cancer. Get more statistics and learn how you can protect yourself at 49abcnews.com/friend2friend. There you can also sign up to be reminded when it's time to do self breast exams and get breast cancer stories emailed to your inbox. Check it out.
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