Life changed in a flash for Rose DuPont and her family. A Knox County teacher and mother of four was diagnosed with breast cancer in January.
For some patients, it's hard knowing what to do next. Throughout treatment and recovery, different thoughts, emotions, and questions arise. That's where Susan G. Komen East TN steps in to provide a helping hand.
For DuPont, it made all the difference.
“All of a sudden, when you feel prepared for something, something else comes along. And you kind of feel like you’re in this unchartered area,” DuPont said.
Shortly after her initial diagnosis, doctors found several cancerous lymph nodes in her body.
“I was losing my mind. That’s when I talked to this lovely young woman named Jessica,” DuPont said. “I still had the disease to deal with, but I knew that I wasn’t in this alone. That she was going to give me the help that I needed.”
Because when you’re battling cancer, the fight is beyond the disease itself, she said.
“You have the psychological and emotional things going on," Dupont said. "You have doctor’s offices calling you saying, “We need money from you.”
At times when DuPont was unsure, a yes from her Komen representative made some things a little easier.
“Any element that I needed, even just a shoulder to cry or if I needed some support or assistance, or when I was driving all across the city saying, “Where can I find a wig?” She was always there, and always gave me such helpful advice,” she said.
Blooming through adversity, DuPont continues to fight. With her family and her Komen family nearby, DuPont and many others will not fight alone.
DuPont and many other survivors will be raising money for that Komen family here in Knoxville on Saturday through the Race for the Cure. For more information and how to get involved, visit info-komen.org.