21 minute read
Joyce Williams
JOYCE WILLIAMS “Together We Weather the Storm”
Story by Cindy Reid
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Joyce Williams is a breast cancer After the event, Joyce wanted to take She stresses that the classes are totally survivor whose passion is helping the support and outreach even further, and free and available to anyone. Joyce says others who are going through what thus founded Keepers of the Flame. each class is only 10 to 15 minutes long she experienced. She is the founder of because “people dealing with breast the Keepers of the Flame: Breast Cancer Six Pillars of Resilience cancer have too much on their plate to sit Resource Center, where “Together We “I am really excited to be in Effingham for an hour class.” Weather the Storm,” and the mission is “to Magazine right now because my YouTube The classes range from the first shine light into the darkness, empowering channel just went live, and I want women “Finding Resilience After Breast women, and our communities, to weather to know about this free support,” says Cancer” to the last two ’practical breast cancer.” Joyce. “On the channel I present The Six classes:’ “Emotional Resilience,”
Joyce says that the idea with information from of a lighthouse initially Building Blocks Family came to her after her mastectomy. “I saw my “I am not grateful for cancer, but I Counseling in Pooler, and “Physical Resilience,” scars in the mirror for the first time and I didn’t now have a mission to help anyone which includes practical information on yoga and recognize myself. I looked down and saw a lighthouse else by exposing my hurt and my mindfulness from Mary at The Barre and Yoga Room charm on my bracelet, and it clicked that I wasn’t healing to other women in order to in Rincon. the only one. Afterwards I spoke with other women provide information and support.” Podcast Before the YouTube who had survived and channel, Joyce created made it to the other side of a podcast series of their own storms, and they educational and support became my lighthouses.” Pillars of Resilience, which is a research- episodes for those fighting breast cancer.
“Together, we wanted to shine that based curriculum consisting of ten short “Every Wednesday I interviewed an light for others, so we participated in a 60 classes (YouTube videos). In it I talk about expert, usually medical experts, on mile walk to raise funds and awareness support, resources, resilience, and simple breast cancer topics,” says Joyce. In May for breast cancer. Because the original strategies that people can do each day to 2020 she celebrated the one year mark lighthouse had flames, the idea became strengthen their own resilience and to help for episodes. Keepers of the Flame, and Together We the breast cancer survivor weather Weather.” their own storm.”
LEARN MORE: YouTube Channel: Keepers of the Flame: Breast Cancer Support | www.togetherweweather.org Podcasts available via website, iTunes, and Google Podcast | togetherweweather | #togetherweweatherthisstorm
The podcast topics include: the population) carry mutated BRCA1 or sooner than I wanted. I didn’t have much • Working with Grief & Traumatic Loss BRCA2 genes. A BRCA mutation occurs control over when my time would come, • Breast Cancer Basics with Breast when the DNA that makes up the gene none of us do.”
Surgeon, Dr. William Burak becomes damaged in some way. (www. “As I listened to the song, the lines, • Radiation Oncology with Dr. Michael nationalbreastcancer.org/what-is-brca) “I guess it’s not what you take when you
Hasselle leave this world behind you, it’s what you • 3D nipple and areola tattooing with The Tests Come Back leave behind you when you go,” sunk in. professional medical tattoo artist, Joyce’s test results came back negative I was terrified of dying, and it bugged me
Renee Maschinot for the colon cancer mutation but positive immensely that I didn’t have control over • Chemotherapy with Vanessa Brink for BRCA2. that. But then it hit me, I could control (NP in medical oncology) “It was a complete shock to me and HOW I lived while I was here; and I started • Lymphedema with Expert Corie my doctor because there was absolutely to wonder: what do I want to leave behind?”
Turley, and other medical topics. no history of breast cancer in my family,” “That’s when a quote that I love so The podcast is available on iTunes and Google Podcasts, and through the Keepers of the Flame website. says Joyce, “but this meant the risk of me developing breast cancer was 84% chance in my lifetime.” Joyce had a mammogram, and it was much, first came to my mind. ’If acts of kindness were like snowflakes, unique in their own beauty, then when we’d increase these acts, we’d see snow.’ That’s Joyce’s Story “I grew up a Navy brat and my husband Bryan grew up an Army brat. We went to high school together in Virginia but were just friends back then. We met up after college and ended up in Colorado together and then to Georgia. He is an aerospace engineer at Gulfstream. My college degree negative. Six months later she had an MRI and they found three masses in the same breast. “Within ten months I had a bilateral mastectomy, reconstruction breast surgery, chemotherapy, radiation and a complete hysterectomy, because BRCA2 means an elevated risk for ovarian cancer.” She was 36 years old. it! I wanted to leave behind metaphorical ’snow.’ I might not be able to control when my time comes, but each day that I am here, I can work on making another snowflake. I can be kind. I can show up for people.” This is the second year Joyce and her girls are creating a Snowflake Project. Last is in Biology and I was a biology year, Leona and Sage did chores teacher at South Effingham around the house to help pay High School.” Joyce remembers, “I was “I might not be able to control for purchasing eight new stuffed animals to donate to their local teaching biology and one day I was talking about chromosomal inheritance, and thought ‘hmm, when my time comes, but each day that I am here, I can...be police department to be given to children experiencing a traumatic event. maybe I should look into that for colon cancer, because it ran in kind. I can show up for people” This year they will use the funds they raise through my family.’” baking to fund a scholarship
Forward a few years later to for the Building Blocks Family 2017 and Joyce was now a stay-at-home mother to their two little girls, Leona, 4, and Sage, 5. She was at her OBGYN for a routine checkup and decided to finally get that colon cancer genetic screening. She says she filled out the questionnaire for colon cancer and the BRCA2 test was simply an “add on.” Joyce says “Biology is, by definition, the study of life; and my study of biology actually ended up saving my life. I am not grateful for cancer, but I now have a mission to help anyone else by exposing my hurt and my healing to other women in order to provide information and support.” Counseling class “Making Lemonade: How to Make Lemonade When Cancer Keeps Giving You Lemons” online course. Joyce urges everyone to make their own “snowflakes” of compassion and love—“let’s let it snow!” Family Life What Is BRCA? In addition to her many activities The Williams enjoy spending time
The name “BRCA” is an abbreviation through Keepers of the Flame, Joyce is a together with family bike rides and family for “BReast CAncer gene.” BRCA1 and Survivor Ambassador volunteer at Susan game nights. Today Joyce is doing well and BRCA2 are two different genes that have G Komen Coastal Georgia, part of the says that “we must live our lives. We are been found to impact a person’s chances of Survivorship Committee at Memorial, changed from our experiences, but these developing breast cancer. recently participated in the virtual Race for experiences don’t have to define us.”
Every human has both the BRCA1 and the Cure, and organized an annual Swim- She plans on continuing her work with BRCA2 genes. Despite what their names A-Thon fundraiser in her neighborhood those fighting breast cancer and says, “I might suggest, BRCA genes do not cause with her daughters. may not have control over my cancer, my breast cancer. In fact, these genes normally play a big role in preventing breast cancer. They help repair DNA breaks that can lead to cancer and the uncontrolled growth of tumors. Because of this, the BRCA genes are known as tumor suppressor genes. However, in some people these tumor suppression genes do not work properly. When a gene becomes altered or broken, it doesn’t function correctly. This is called a gene mutation. A small percentage of people (about one in 400, or 0.25% of Snowflake Project Close to her heart is the Snowflake Project, which came about in a very personal way. As Joyce tells it, “On a chilly December day back in 2017, when I was overcome with turmoil, I put my hands together to pray. Within seconds, I heard Randy Travis’s song, Three Wooden Crosses, play on the radio. I was afraid of dying, of not being there for my children, of being ripped away from this world BRCA2 mutation, or even whether or not I passed that gene onto my children; but I do have control (in part) over the kind of world that I want to leave for my children.” “I know from personal experience just how rough a cancer diagnosis and treatments can be, and I promise you that you don’t have to do this alone. I am happy to tell anybody my story because I don’t want anyone to feel they are the only one. We may have to be the ones to walk the walk, but we don’t have to do it alone.” n
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Base Map creation, Construction and Industrial surveys, and ALTA-ACSM Land Title Surveys. Craig has also written product reviews for Professional Surveyor Magazine.
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Sofitgympooler.com (912) 348-2014 KEVIN ROSA’S FITNESS JOURNEY
by Cindy Reid
Kevin Rosa didn’t know the day the client didn’t show up would change his life. Originally from Puerto Rico, Kevin was attending Georgia Southern University and had a basic gym membership at SoFit Gym in Pooler, where he was working out on his own. One day Aaron Van Gorp, a Personal Trainer and Gym Sales Manager at SoFit Gym, had a client not show up. He asked Kevin if he wanted a free session. Free? Everybody likes free. Kevin thought ‘sure, why not?’
Aaron’s professionalism and positive attitude was apparent from the start. His dedication to physical fitness was infectious because after the free session Kevin decided to sign up for a six month training package. He started working out regularly with Aaron and with Cory Inman, another Personal Trainer at SoFit Gym. Right away he saw that they were as invested in his success as he was, which in turn motivated Kevin even more.
“Kevin and I met by what we thought was happenstance. But when I explained how personal training changed my life, he bought into, made the investment, and it changed his too,” said Aaron.
Physical & Mental Health
“Your mental health will always follow your physical health.” Both trainers instilled this idea in Kevin, explaining that the two are co-joined. This thought really resonated with Kevin because, like all of us, he occasionally has down days and has found that if 28 www.PoolerMagazine.com | January/February 2021 he takes care of his physical health it improves his mental state.
“If I can life heavy weight and get through a workout even when I didn’t feel like starting, I can accomplish anything!”
He sees his journey to physical fitness as an investment in his whole self. “Achieving daily goals builds confidence,” says Kevin, “which fights depression and leads to other positive things in life.”
Investing in his whole self includes learning about nutrition and paying attention to what foods he puts in his body.
Physical activity and good nutrition are now an integral part of his life. “Small efforts over time create big results,” he says, “Now working out never feels like a chore.”
Helping Others
Having made so many positive changes himself, Kevin says he enjoys watching others at the gym work toward their goals. He is inspired by the people that have weight to lose and are there working on solutions and improved fitness.
Using his experiences to support others is one way Kevin can give back some of the help he received. He says, “I probably never would have committed if it weren’t for the encouragement of Aaron, Cory and others at SoFit Gym,” he says. “We all need others.”
Now 25 years old, Kevin is in his last year at Georgia Southern University, majoring in Electrical Engineering and enjoying a new life of mental and physical fitness. And it’s all because he said ‘yes’ to a free training session. As they say, “a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step!”
– TERRI MARSHALL
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