*The reason Barbara wakes up even on the hardest of days is because of her two children, Taylor-Anne and Jaxson.*

At 42 years old, Barbara Walker had heard the word “cancer” mentioned often. Her mother battled breast cancer in 1995, which resulted her having a double mastectomy. Her brother and best friend, Michael “Sumo” Sams, lost his fight with testicular cancer in January of 2009 at the age of 30. Additionally, September 7, 2017, Barbara heard the words again after the results of her annual mammogram showed she had ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS).

After consulting with oncologist Dr. Lawrence Mendelsohn at the CARTI Cancer Center in Little Rock, Arkansas, Barbara found out that her DCIS was noninvasive and found very early. Cancer cells were found in Barbara’s milk ducts but had not spread to the surrounding tissues in her breasts. Her cancer was rated a Stage 0; her treatment plan would include a lumpectomy followed by radiation which she was able to have done here in Texarkana at New Hope Cancer Institute. “I had surgery on October 18 and started my radiation treatments almost three weeks later for five days a week which turned into seven weeks due to the holiday season,” she remembers.

Right after being diagnosed with cancer, Barbara admits feeling lost. “Here I was again faced with the very thing that I have fought so hard against for years through fundraising in memory of my brother. Except now, it was attacking my body. Hearing you have the ‘C word” is not easy at all. My experience with cancer had been the worst ... losing my bother in 2009 to Stage 4 cancer. I was in complete denial then,” she says. All kinds of thoughts and emotions went through her mind once she heard her diagnosis. Would her children be okay? Would she lose her hair (which is the one thing she loves most about herself)? Would she survive? Luckily, because of her participation in the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life, Barbara had a sense of comfort knowing about the many services available to her and her loved ones if they were needed at any time.

*Jaxson shows off his “I wear pink for my Mom” t-shirt.*

After treatment, Barbara’s skin became dry, and her armpit area was very sore. She developed dark areas on her breasts that looked like burns and were very tender. She treated these areas with cream and gel every day while going through radiation. After about four weeks of treatment, she became very tired and lethargic, feeling the urge to sleep a lot.

*During October 2018, Barbara and her team celebrated breast cancer awareness during Pink Out Day.*

Faith was the one thing that Barbara leaned on throughout her entire journey. She kept her cancer journey pretty private at the time. “I was very blessed. I did not have to do chemotherapy or have a mastectomy. I was just very tired. Because I was private about my diagnosis, I did feel alone at times and very emotional,” Barbara admits. “But I think anytime you are going through something like this, you feel alone, even lost sometimes. With the love of my son, Jaxson, and daughter, Taylor-Anne, along with my close family and friends, I kept smiling and pushing forward. Without prayer and my relationship with my Heavenly Father, I do not think I would have been so blessed,” Barbara admits.

Having a great support system eased Barbara’s mind and helped her mentally and physically. Friends and family pitched in to help take care of her young son and even bring food to her and her family. Her employers at Hilton Garden Inn, Jack and Brian Daugherty, allowed her to rest when needed and offered for her to take off from work whenever she needed a break. The general manager, Dennis Havranek, even set up a surprise celebration the day Barbara completed radiation. “Jack and Brian always said, ‘Take care of you first.’ It was hard ... my body was tired, but I pushed through. Being surrounded by both positive, spiritual, and uplifting people only made my journey easier,” she explains.

Barbara finished her radiation treatments on January 12, 2018, and on January 29, she was told she was cancer-free! Now, she goes to the oncologist every six months for follow-up care and will continue on hormone therapy treated with tamoxifen for five years total to help prevent reoccurrence.

Although cancer may have slowed her down for a few months, Barbara’s zest for life never wavered. Cancer-free for a little over 2-1/2 years now, she admits that she currently looks at life a little bit differently. Many things that once bothered her no longer matter, and taking care of those she loves is her life’s mission. She concludes, “I just love the Lord and focus on the little things in life like sweet tea and belly laughs with my children.”.

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