Christine McCarthy

Survivor

If I Can Help Just 1 Person with My Survivor Story

I know what it’s like to be diagnosed with Breast Cancer at 30 years old. An age before the “suggested” testing of 40 years old. At a time when my future was set to begin, it became a questionable future. Every single person has a different story, a reason to fight, a reason to push through the next minute, the next day. I found my lump one week before my wedding, at my last wedding dress fitting. Five days after getting married, I was diagnosed with Stage 2B Breast ductal Carcinoma. After two rounds of aggressive chemotherapy, a round of radiation, lumpectomy, I survived. Twenty years later, I’m still a survivor. I won’t say surviving is easy, because every day is an act of strength against many side effects and hurdles. But survive I do. I’ve been saving lives since I was 18 years old, starting as an EMT who’s path had to pivot. I’m a 9-1-1 dispatcher for 24 years now. If my story, or inspiration of hope, can even help one person, that’s what I want to do!