Kimberly Lynch

Co-Survivor

I remember it like it was yesterday! At the time I lived in Raleigh, North Carolina and I traveled back and forth home regularly to get my hair done, attend church, and go visit my sister and daddy. I had made it to the hair salon with my then 3-4 month old son when my sister walks in. I was surprised she had come but I knew she wanted to see Santana! She’s playing with Santana and my hairstylist sits me up from the sink and that’s when she says “I have breast cancer!” Immediately I feel hot and I look over to her with a look on my face that says “not again?!” Let me explain my “not again”, 2011 our mother passed from Lung Cancer that unfortunately spread to her brain. She was diagnosed in 2003 and fought a very good fight! 2010 my mom and I attended our very first Relay for Life walk! She looked good and felt even better! The following spring she passed. I was the child who went to the majority of her chemo appointments, grabbed her medicines etc. She had a seizure March of 2011 and my younger brother had to be sent home via Red Cross because he was stationed in Texas and my sister was in Ft. Lewis, Washington with her husband! To hear that my sister had breast cancer immediately made me think of what we just went through 4 years prior! She announced her fight with stage 4 triple negative breast cancer and it was ON! She went through months of chemotherapy and radiation and I am glad to announce that she is alive and well and CANCER FREE! We have been active in our community of Fayetteville, North Carolina for quite some time now! I even dedicated my 29th birthday to my foundation and the awareness of cancers by celebrating it at Buffalo Wild Wings and having a portion of the proceeds go to stopping cancer! I’ve also done things with Chic Fil A (twice) and was recently awarded last year a grant through BB&T for their Community Outreach Award where we gave over 100 chemotherapy bags to patients on National Cancer Survivor day! I’ve said all of that to say this, the fight is mental, it heavily relies on your caregiver, family and making sure you go to your appointments and ask questions! Not being afraid to ask for a second opinion if needed is sometimes necessary! I am glad to share my story! Cancer picked the wrong family, TWICE!