Breast Cancer Awareness Month

by Pastor Christopher Hamlin

My mother, Doris Vivian Cornelius Hamlin, suffered a lot. She had a stroke on the day her second son, Ricardo, got married. The Lord blessed her. She recovered with no residual evidence of the stroke. Later she became ill and her gall bladder had to be removed. She was diagnosed with breast cancer and she championed and soldiered through the disease.

My mother, like many women, knew the effects of sickness and disease. She was diagnosed with a problem and learned what treatment options were available. After sharing many conversations with family members, we made decisions. We offered prayers, surgery took place, the treatment plan was followed and recovery began.

I watched my mother go through a lot. A few years ago, after becoming seriously ill and decisions had to be made about long-term care, my oldest sister, Renee, and her husband, Sam, welcomed her into their home. They took care of her until it became a greater task and affected Renee’s health.

My siblings and I made the difficult decision to admit her into a facility that would provide the compassionate care she needed. This took place as COVID affected everyone. Yet, that facility discovered ways of making us aware of our mother’s care. We visited by standing outside and staring through the window. Nurses would turn the bed so she could see us and hold the telephone to her ear and allow us to talk to her.

As time progress, her health deteriorated to where the obvious became inevitable. On November 17, 2021, she went home to be with the Lord. I was with her the day before. Midday on the 16th, I drove back to Birmingham for Peyton’s birthday dinner. The phone rang and my sister said I needed to return to Macon. I drove fast and violated several speeding limits.

When I arrived at her room, all her children were there, along with other family members. She was quietly sleeping. Her vital signs were stable, but we could tell she was slipping into eternity. The nurse encouraged us to go home and rest, saying she should be fine throughout the night. She committed that if anything changed, we would be called. An hour after lying down, the telephone rang, and I knew my mother was in eternity with the Lord.

As a congregation, we have been blessed that several members have survived breast cancer and other diseases. When detected early, breast cancer usually can be treated successfully and the survival rate is high. Research and treatments have improved survival rates.

What is the key to survival? Awareness, preventive healthcare measures, and early detection are essential ingredients to successfully navigate breast cancer and other diseases.

This month, we pray for the healing of those living with breast cancer, celebrate the survivors, remember those who now rest eternally, and pray for ongoing research and treatment plans. We remember breast cancer not just during the month of October, but every day.

Amen.