In The City event, Faith Strong members got news that emphasized the impact their founder had on her community and a greater cause.
Royal Neighbors of America announced on Friday, Oct. 3, that Faith Strong was the recipient of its 2025 Nation of Neighbors empowerment award and a $20,000 grant in honor of the late Faith Strong founder Tamekia Hunter Ross. Ross, a two-time breast
cancer survivor, founded the nonprofit to ensure no woman faces breast cancer alone. Through the years, the nonprofit has delivered gifts to breast cancer patients at local oncology clinics, hosted monthly BREASTie Groups and support groups for caregivers of cancer patients, coordinated an annual survivor retreat, hosted fundraisers that are as entertaining as they are informing, shared their stories on numerous platforms and hosted its annual Pink in the City, which seeks to raise awareness of breast cancer and honor those who have survived
and are thriving after their diagnosis.
For Ross, this was all while she herself was traveling states away for chemotherapy. She was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 2015 at age 41. She was able to go into remission. However, her second diagnosis would come three years later, this time as Stage IV. This year, she was named the recipient of the 2025 Nation of Neighbors Award, recognizing her as an influential leader who exemplified their “neighbor-helping-neighbor” mission of community service.
Sumter’s Faith Strong receives $20K to keep support group, honors late founder at annual Pink in the City event
“This award reminds me that God is faithful and His hand is still on the calling to advocate for those impacted by breast cancer,” Ross told Royal Neighbors of America. “My prayer is to represent Christ well so He gets all the glory.” Before the award could be bestowed, Ross passed away on Aug. 29 at age 51.
Royal Neighbors of America, one of the oldest women-founded fraternal life insurers founded in 1895 with the purpose of making life insurance accessible to women, joined in with Faith Strong members in honoring Ross at the annual Pink in the City on Saturday, Oct. 4. There, the organization presented the award and grant to members before a sea of community members, all pristine in their pink.
“The Sumter community came together in full spirit, dressed in their best shades of pink and country western attire, for a day filled with fun, fellowship and heartfelt purpose - all in support of the fight against breast cancer,” Faith Strong said. During the event, both the City of Sumter and Sumter County made historic proclamations. Oct. 4, 2025, was officially proclaimed Pink In The City Day by City of Sumter, while Sumter County proclaimed the first
Saturday in October will be recognized each year as Pink In The City Day throughout the county. These proclamations serve as lasting tributes to the resilience and strength of survivors and families, while highlighting the importance of early detection, education and continued advocacy. Alongside this good news, entertainment and community spirit kept the vibe alive, thanks to performances by the TruKuntry Steppas and Sir James Soul Line Dancers. Crestwood High School’s football team also showed tremendous community spirit with helping vendors set up for event day. Before her death, Ross told Royal Neighbors “this grant will help us keep our third-Saturday BREASTies support group strong and give our ladies a special outing - moments of joy and community that mean everything when the days are hard.”
To learn more about Faith Strong Inc., join its BREASTie Support Group, explore its services and volunteer opportunities or to make a donation, visit www.wearefaithstrong.com, email info@wearefaithstrong.com, or call (803) 458-6848.
Turkey
Santa pigs: Manning artist’s gifts honor memory of coworker’s grandmother taken by stomach cancer
BY RHIANNON O’BERRY Rhiannon@theitem.com
MANNING - At a hotel in Manning, you may see Tiffany Razer behind the front desk, poring over an e-book with a festive painted bookmark of a pig in hand. Painter Jennifer Daney, her coworker, makes artwork for Razer that testifies to the way art connects people across time and generations, the cathartic nourishment artists’ gifts provide and how those who fell to cancer decades ago continue to shape the world through the hearts they touched while they lived.
This location of a national hotel chain is profoundly festive this time of year thanks to decorations from Razer and Daney. Looking around, you will likely see a lot of paintings – and a lot of pigs. Razer has worked here for about 12 years, while Daney has worked here for about seven. When she found out that pigs hold special significance to Razer because of her childhood, Daney began combining her love for festive paintings with pig art. Through the years, Daney has given Razer bookmarks and cards for birthdays, Halloween, fall, Christmas and more that feature pigs in all manner of costumes and locales.
This story began when Razer’s grandmother, granddaughter to a coal miner, grew up on a farm in the mountains of Virginia around the 1940s. Life could be hard, and her family didn’t have a lot, but she loved her pig, Clara Belle, dearly – as did her brother, who would ride her sometimes. For the rest of her life, she collected beloved pig memorabilia of all kinds.
When she died of stomach cancer in 1997, her granddaughter, Razer, inherited some of her collection and has continued it, in part for her own enjoyment and also to remember someone who inspires her every day. Like her mannerisms and values, Razer’s grandmother’s love for pigs has become part of who Razer is, and everyone who knows her knows about it, from customers at
the hotel to family members and coworkers.
Razer said the paintings Daney makes her for holidays and birthdays warm her heart in part because of the connection to her grandmother. Daney said every painting she makes for Razer becomes her new favorite one.
“I’m glad just to see the smile and what it really means to her personally,” Daney shared.
Daney finds it most rewarding when her persistence and belief in herself yields artwork that then imbues recipients with resilience, inspiration and comfort. Personalization is inherent to Daney’s process; even if she is painting for a 3-year-old, she first has a conversation with them about their likes and favorite colors. She is grateful for the positive impact on people’s lives God makes through her creativity.
“He didn’t give it for me to keep,” she said. “He gave it to me to share it.”
Daney lives and works in Manning, where she was born and raised. Her desk at the hotel is like an art studio; her paints and brushes have a permanent home there. Razer said customers frequently bring pigs for her to the front
desk. Razer and Daney said their boss is understanding and supportive of their passions.
Daney said her loved ones, engagement with nature and everyday pleasures like a good meal fuel her creativity. Her mother’s garden and Swan Lake Iris Gardens are particular sources of inspiration – though she has been known to knock on strangers’ doors when their garden catches her eye to get consent to explore it.
Her work includes everything from pastoral scenes depicting quaint towns at Christmas to abstract pieces that combine flora with the feminine form and much more. This includes paintings personalized for local areas, like the one of Manning hanging at her workplace that includes the courthouse, state butterfly and Myrtle Beach.
“When I paint, I paint life,” Daney said.
Tiffany said she becomes giddy when Daney makes her a new artwork and said such gifts mean more than a million dollars.
“She just makes you feel alive,” Razer said of Daney’s art. “She makes it her own, and I feel like you can see a part of her soul through every painting that she does.”
Though Razer was 11 when her grandmother was diagnosed and 14 when she died, when Razer speaks of her grandmother, it is with awe, joy and gratitude.
“If I’m half the woman my grandmother is, when I stand in front of God, then
I’ll be a happy person,” she said.
When Razer was severely ill as a baby, her grandmother nurtured her. She
Artist Jennifer Daney sits by her artwork.
said the love she gave her is second only to God’s. Razer said she frequently gets the instinctive urge to call her grandmother, and sometimes it seems like she only just passed.
Tiffany Razer’s grandmother was among the more than 600,000 Americans who died from cancer in 1997. Thirty-nine percent of American women will develop cancer during their lifetime, per the American Cancer Society.
Razer said her grandmother suffered during her battle with stomach cancer and sometimes would have to stay in the hospital to get fluid drained from her swollen abdomen.
This was in part because she also had diabetes. Per the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention, about one in five people with cancer also have diabetes. Common cancer treatments like chemotherapy and radiation therapy can cause symptoms that thwart managing diabetes like loss of appetite, blood sugar spikes and fatigue.
What lingers most with Razer these years after her grandmother’s death is awe and gratitude for the example of how she lived, before and during the cancer.
“No matter how much pain she was in the last couple years, she never had a bad word,” Razer said. “She was always just full of smiles.”
That was just who her grandmother was, she said, and it’s an example
that still impacts how she views and moves through the world these decades later.
“If you were to come to her house, you’re gonna be fed,” Razer shared. “If you were sick and you were in the hospital, she’s gonna bring the church to you.”
Another inspiration was the way her grandmother savored life’s small pleasures like they were divine, which Razer attributes to how she was raised.
“It’s not bad to chase for bigger things,” Razer said, “the nicer homes, the bigger cars. But to me, it’s the little moments, the little small things that add up that make a bigger picture of life, and I’ve learned
that from her.”
Razer keeps every pig bookmark and birthday card in a memory book and plans to pass them down to her beloved nephews ultimately.
“Her art just touches hearts, touches souls,” shared Razer about Daney.
“Her light, soul just touches so many people.”
Daney said love for others, self-love and God’s love intertwine in her eyes, and this reflects in her artwork. Daney believes her way of spreading love to others in the world is through her artwork. She strives to create spaces of peace, harmony, joy and love within her paintings that viewers want to inhabit and that improve their lives, however minutely.
“It’s the memories that’ve sustained me,” said Razer about her grandmother. “Her laughter, her happiness, her zest for life, her pleasure in the small things.”
She is grateful to be part of Daney’s life and for how she helps keep those memories alive, year after year.
Breast cancer terms to know
A recent analysis from the Agency for Research on Cancer and collaborators estimated that 3.2 million new cases of breast cancer will be diagnosed annually across the globe by 2050. That would mark a significant increase in annual cases since 2022, when the World Health Organization reported 2.3 million individuals were diagnosed with breast cancer.
Though breast cancer affects millions of women and their support networks each year, it’s not always so easy to understand all of the terminology surrounding the disease. With that in mind, people recently diagnosed with the disease or those who know someone in such a position can learn these common terms to make their journey to recovery a little easier to navigate.
• Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS): Many terms related to breast cancer can be scary, but DCIS is among the more welcoming words a doctor may utter. DCIS is a non-invasive form of breast cancer that doctors may characterize as “stage 0.” Breast cancers identified as DCIS are very early stage and highly treatable.
• Invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC): Susan G. Komen®, an organization dedicated to raising breast cancer awareness, notes that IDC is a form of the disease that begins in the milk ducts but has spread into surrounding breast tissue and possibly into the lymph nodes or other parts of the body.
• Lumpectomy: According to Susan G. Komen®, a lumpectomy is a surgical procedure that removes only the tumor and a small amount of tissue around it. Most of the breast skin and tissue is left in place during a lumpectomy.
• Mastectomy: A mastectomy is a surgical removal of the breast. Susan G. Komen® notes there are different types of mastectomy. A modified radical mastectomy removes the breast, the lining of the chest muscles and some of the lymph nodes in the underarm area. This procedure is used to treat early and local advanced breast cancer. A total mastectomy involves surgical removal of the breast but no other tissue or nodes.
• Hormone receptor status: Hormone receptor status indicates whether or not a breast cancer requires hormones to grow. Susan G. Komen® notes a significant number of hormone receptors on a breast cancer cell indicate it needs the hormone to grow.
• Family history: Family history refers to current and past health conditions of a given individual’s biological family members. Family history of breast cancer is considered a risk factor for the disease.
• Ki-67 Rate: Susan G. Komen® notes this is a common way to measure proliferation rate. The more cells the Ki-67 antibody attaches to in a given tissue sample, the more likely the tumor cells will grow and divide rapidly.
• Local treatment: This refers to treatment that focuses on removing cancer from areas local to the breast, including the breast itself as well as the chest wall and lymph nodes in the underarm area. These are just a handful of terms that women diagnosed with breast cancer and their family members can learn to better understand the disease and the various ways it’s treated. Additional terminology can be found at komen.org.
Though Tiffany Razer , left, didn’t have her grandmother, right, into adulthood, a friend gifted her this edited photo of them together.
FAQ about diabetes
Diabetes cases have risen dramatically in recent decades. According to the World Health Organization, the number of people living with diabetes has more than quadrupled since 1990, rising from 200 million that year to 830 million by 2022.
The prevalence of diabetes underscores how significant a threat it poses across the globe. And recognition of that prevalence may prompt questions about the disease, including what can be done to prevent it.
What is diabetes?
The WHO notes diabetes is a chronic disease that occurs when the pancreas does not produce enough insulin or the body cannot effectively utilize the insulin that is produced. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notes that’s problematic because insulin acts like a key to let blood sugar into the body’s cells for use as energy.
Are there different types of diabetes?
Yes. The CDC notes type 1 diabetes is typically diagnosed in children and
young adults, though it’s important people recognize it can be diagnosed at any age. Type 1 diabetes is believed to be caused by an autoimmune reaction that stops the body from making insulin. People with type 1 diabetes must take insulin every day to survive. Type 2 diabetes is characterized by an inability to utilize insulin well and maintain normal blood sugar levels. Though the CDC notes more and more young people are being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, the disease is more often diagnosed in adults
and tends to develop over many years. Gestational diabetes is another form of the disease that can develop in pregnant women who have never had diabetes. Gestational diabetes typically goes away after giving birth, but the CDC notes a baby could be at elevated risk for health problems like childhood obesity or type 2 diabetes if a mother develops gestational diabetes during pregnancy.
Are there risk factors for diabetes?
Risk factors vary for each type of diabetes. The risk factors for type 1 diabetes include family history, notably a first degree relative (i.e., parent or sibling) who has the disease, and age since most cases are diagnosed in childhood or adolescence. Age also is a risk factor for type 2 diabetes, as the CDC notes most diagnoses of the disease are made in people age 45 and older. Risk for type 2 diabetes also is greater if a person has a first-degree relative with the condition, but that might be because families tend to live similar lifestyles relating to diet and exercise. A poor diet can increase type 2 diabetes risk, as overweight or obesity are risk factors for the disease. A sedentary
lifestyle in which people are physically active less than three times per week also is a risk factor for type 2 diabetes.
What are the signs and symptoms of diabetes?
The WHO reports symptoms of diabetes may occur suddenly but also notes that they can take years to be noticed in people with type 2 diabetes. But some of the more notable symptoms include:
• Feeling very thirsty
• Need for frequent urination
• Blurred vision
• Fatigue
• Unintentional weight loss
The Kovler Diabetes Center at UChicagoMedicine notes that tingling or numbness in the hands or feet, a condition known as neuropathy, also may indicate the presence of diabetes. This occurs over time because high glucose levels can damage the nervous system. Delayed healing of bruises or cuts or frequent infections also can be signs of diabetes. Diabetes cases are on the rise across the globe, which only underscores the need for everyone to learn more about the disease and what can be done to prevent it.
a lower risk of develop -
compared to those who did not. Reading improves memory, attention, processing speed, and other factors in older adults by stimulating the brain through the activation of multiple cognitive processes. Reading
promotes
and strengthens existing ones, helping to maintain brain health, according to a 2023 study published in the Journal of the
Cosmetic concerns and weight loss medications
The association of weight loss and use of medications originally targeted to treat diabetes has led to many of these drugs being exclusively developed and marketed to those eager to lose weight. According to a May 2024 KFF poll, approximately 12 percent of adults in the United States have used a GLP-1 agonist like Ozempic® (semiglutide), while another study from RAND found 11.8 percent had used them as of August 2025.
GLP-1 drugs have become popular weight loss management tools. But GLP-1 medications, which are often characterized as miracle drugs for people managing diabetes or obesity, are not without potential side effects. According to UCLA Health, these drugs trick the brain and stomach into making a person feel less hungry and fuller faster. However, these effects come at the price of the possibility of nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, indigestion, bloating, and other gastrointestinal issues.
Another concern associated with GLP-1 drugs is something that has been dubbed “Ozempic face” after the most well-known GLP-1 agonist. This is not a medical term but a moniker that has sprung up to refer to changes in the face that can occur with rapid weight loss. The Cleveland Clinic and endocrinologist Vinni Makin, M.D., says, “it’s characterized by
gauntness, sunken cheeks, new wrinkles, and loose skin on the face and neck.”
While people are quick to pin blame for “Ozempic face” on these medications, it’s not necessarily a side effect of the medication. Rather, it’s a product of rapid weight loss facilitated by the medication. These same effects can happen if rapid weight loss occurs via other means, such as after bariatric surgery or lifestyle changes that cause rapid weight loss.
Doctors explain that these weight-loss drugs will help one lose a lot of weight in a relatively short period of time. When that occurs, most people will see that initial weight loss in their faces first. The loss of fat can lead to sunken cheeks and temples, making the facial bones appear more prominent. Also, skin may lose elasticity and sag, accentuating fine lines and wrinkles that already exist, according to Northwell Health.
Gradual weight loss that is slower and more controlled allows the skin time to adjust, thus minimizing sagging. This may be achieved by adjusting the medication dosage when taking a drug like Ozempic to create more gradual weight loss. Some people also turn to injectable fillers to restore lost facial volume, creating a more youthful appearance.
Although many people who are
taking GLP-1 medications to get healthier are happy with the weight loss results, loss of fat volume in the face is a side effect of rapid weight loss that must be considered.
Choose Blue …
• $0 copay for visits to your primary care provider (PCP)
• $0 copay for hundreds of prescription drugs
• $0 copay for lab work in a doctor’s office
• $0 eyeglasses or contacts with exam
• $0 copay transportation benefit
• $0 copay preventive care
• Up to $3,000 dental benefit
• Quarterly over-the-counter allowance, including healthy food
