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February 14, 2013, is a date I will never forget. It was the day I was diagnosed with breast cancer at just 31 years old. Three weeks later, I underwent a double mastectomy. About a month after that, I began chemotherapy. In what felt like an instant, my life changed in ways I could never have imagined. I was suddenly navigating a world of appointments, difficult decisions, uncertainty, and emotions that are hard to explain unless you have experienced them yourself. Cancer changes you. It changes how you look at life, what you value, and how you define strength. It also gives you a perspective you never asked for but one that stays with you long after treatment ends.
As a breast cancer survivor, October means more to me than pink ribbons, awareness campaigns, and social media posts. It is a reminder of the people still fighting, the families walking alongside them, the survivors learning to navigate life after cancer, and the people we carry in our hearts because cancer took them from us.
It is also a reminder of how much a community can do when it comes together for a cause that touches so many lives. Here in Owensboro, three initiatives are helping turn awareness into action: The Pink Mic Project, Give Cancer the Boot, and Paint the Town Pink. While each has its own approach, they share something important, and that is the desire to support local people and families affected by cancer.
The Pink Mic Project: Giving Survivors a Voice
The Pink Mic Project was born from my own experience as a breast cancer survivor and my desire to use my voice to make a difference. Through my work in radio, I have the opportunity to connect with people, share stories, and bring attention to things that matter in our community. I wanted to use that platform for something deeply personal. The Pink Mic Project is about creating space for survivor stories, honoring those we have lost, celebrating those who continue to fight, and connecting people with resources that can help them along the way. It is also about reminding people that they are not alone.
A cancer diagnosis can be isolating. Even when you have family and friends surrounding you, there are parts of the experience that are difficult to put into words. Sometimes, hearing from someone who has walked a similar road can make a difference. Sometimes, knowing another person understands your fear, your exhaustion, or even the complicated emotions that come with surviving is enough to make you feel a little less alone. That is what I hope The Pink Mic Project offers.
Through community support, survivor recognition, educational resources, and fundraising, we can take something painful and use it to help someone else. The project also supports the Owensboro Health Foundation and the Kentucky Cancer Program, helping direct resources back into our local community. Last year, our inaugural event raised $2,665 for local cancer resources. That number represents more than money. It represents people who cared enough to show up, donate, share their stories, and help us build something meaningful. For me, The Pink Mic Project is personal. It is a way to take something I never would have chosen to experience and give it a purpose beyond myself.
Paint the Town Pink: An Entire Community Showing Up
Awareness is important, but awareness paired with action can make an even greater difference. That is the idea behind Paint the Town Pink, a community-wide initiative presented by the Owensboro Health Foundation and Downtown Owensboro. Throughout October, local businesses are invited to participate as Pink Partners by creating their own fundraising promotions to benefit local cancer patients and families. Whether a business donates a portion of its sales, invites customers to round up their purchases, or creates a special promotion, the goal is to give the entire community an opportunity to participate.
I love the idea of an entire community getting involved because cancer is not something that affects only the person who receives the diagnosis. It affects spouses, children, parents, friends, coworkers, and everyone who loves that person. It also reminds us that supporting cancer patients does not have to look the same for everyone. Not everyone can organize a major fundraiser or make a large financial contribution. Sometimes, support looks like making a purchase at a participating business, sharing information about a local resource, checking in on a friend, or simply taking the time to listen.
Paint the Town Pink gives people another way to turn their concern into something tangible. It extends the spirit of Give Cancer the Boot beyond one event and gives businesses and residents opportunities to help throughout the month. And as a survivor, there is something meaningful about seeing a community come together around a cause that can feel so overwhelming when you are facing it personally.
Give Cancer the Boot: Turning Personal Experiences Into Support for Others
Cancer has a way of changing your perspective on what matters. For breast cancer survivor Krista Thompson and her family, that experience became the inspiration behind Give Cancer the Boot.
After receiving care at Mitchell Memorial Cancer Center, Krista wanted to give back and help other patients and families receive support during their own cancer journeys. What began as a family’s effort to pay that support forward has grown into an annual community fundraiser benefiting patients and families through the Owensboro Health Foundation.
Give Cancer the Boot brings people together through music, art, and a shared commitment to helping others. Its growth is a reminder that when people connect with a cause on a personal level, they can inspire others to become part of something bigger than themselves. As a survivor, I understand that desire to give back. When you have been through cancer, you know how much the right care, a compassionate medical team, and a little extra help can mean. Not every patient has the same needs. Some families face financial pressures. Others need help accessing services or navigating the many challenges that accompany treatment.
Every person’s experience is different, but the need for support is real.
Fundraisers like Give Cancer the Boot help strengthen cancer services close to home, making it possible for our community to support people facing some of the most difficult moments of their lives. And that matters. Because when someone is diagnosed with cancer, the last thing they should have to worry about is whether they will have access to the care and resources they need.
More Than a Month of Awareness
There is something powerful about seeing pink everywhere in October. But I also know that cancer does not follow a calendar. A diagnosis does not wait for Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Treatment does not end when the pink decorations come down. The fear, the follow-up appointments, the uncertainty, and the process of finding your new normal do not disappear on November 1. Survivorship is its own journey. Some days are filled with gratitude. Others bring difficult reminders of everything you have been through. You can be thankful to be here and still acknowledge that the experience changed you. You can celebrate surviving while recognizing that not everyone gets the same outcome.
That is why initiatives like The Pink Mic Project, Give Cancer the Boot, and Paint the Town Pink matter. They give us ways to keep the conversation going, support local patients and families, and make sure the people affected by cancer know their community cares.
For me, this is about more than raising money or wearing pink. It is about taking the hardest chapter of my life and using it to help someone else through theirs. If my story helps one person feel less alone, if a fundraiser helps one family access a resource they desperately need, or if a conversation encourages someone to take their health seriously, then we are making a difference. I cannot change the day I received my diagnosis. But I can choose what I do with the life and perspective I have gained since then. And if there is one thing I have learned as a breast cancer survivor, it is that none of us should have to face cancer alone. So this October, I hope you will do more than wear pink. Support a local fundraiser. Visit a participating business. Learn about the resources available in our community. Check on someone who has been affected by cancer. Listen to a survivor’s story. Most importantly, remember that behind every pink ribbon is a real person, a real family, and a story that deserves to be heard.
A Dedication to My Mom
I would be remiss if I ended this story without recognizing the person who stood beside me through one of the hardest chapters of my life: my mom. When I was diagnosed with breast cancer at just 31 years old, my world changed overnight. But my diagnosis changed her world, too. While I was the one fighting cancer, she was the one helping me navigate it, caring for me, standing beside me, and making sure I never had to face it alone.
Being a cancer survivor means I know what it feels like to be scared, exhausted, and uncertain about what comes next. But being cared for by someone who loves you unconditionally showed me another side of that journey. It showed me the strength it takes to be a caretaker, to watch someone you love suffer, to put their needs ahead of your own, and to keep showing up even when there are no easy answers.
My mom was there for me when I needed her most. There are no words big enough to express what that has meant to me, and there is no way to fully repay the love and care she gave me.
So, as I reflect on my journey and the importance of supporting others affected by cancer, this is dedicated to her, and to every caretaker who sits through appointments, holds a hand during difficult moments, offers comfort when words aren’t enough, and quietly carries a burden of their own while trying to be strong for someone else. Cancer may have been my fight, but I never fought it alone.
Momma, thank you for being my caretaker, my strength, and my constant reminder that even in the darkest moments, love shows up. I am here today, and I will never stop being grateful that you were there with me. This is for you.
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