By Othor Cain,
Contributing Writer,
Katrina Myricks sat in the soft sunlight of her living room, a cup of herbal tea warming her hands. It was a bright January morning in 2025, and she couldn’t help but feel gratitude for the twelve years that had transformed not just her body but her spirit too. Just twelve years ago, in January 2013, her journey began with an unexpected diagnosis: breast cancer.
Katrina had always been diligent about her health. Every year since turning 40, she had scheduled her mammograms and performed self-breast exams monthly. So, when the results of her latest mammogram at age 49 revealed a large mass, she was taken aback. “How can this be?” she thought, confused and scared. The words echoed in her mind as she sat in the doctor’s office, waiting for her physician to provide clarity.
When the diagnosis was given, it felt like the ground had shifted beneath her. “Breast cancer.” Just saying those words brought her to her knees. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she prayed right there in front of her physician. Blessedly, her doctor shared her faith and joined Katrina in that unexpected moment of vulnerability, urging her to trust in God.
The drive home was a blur. With thoughts racing through her mind, she pulled over at Smith Wills Stadium. The shadows of doubt and fear crept in as she screamed and cried, grappling with how she would tell her family. The thought of breaking the news to her husband, Ken, who had lost his mother to cancer just the year before, was almost paralyzing. How could she add to his pain?
For nearly a week, she kept this monumental news to herself, hoping against hope that it was somehow a mistake, waiting for the call that would clear the cloud hanging over her head. But that call never came. Instead, the reality of “breast cancer” began to settle deeply within her.
That following Sunday, Katrina felt the weight of her secret during church service. She went down for altar prayer, praying for the strength to share her diagnosis with her family and her close friends, a group she referred to as her “tribe.” They were the ones who would become her steadfast support, rallying around her in ways that she had never anticipated. She asked God for peace and assurance as she prepared to face her fears.
When the moment came to tell Ken and their daughter, Kaitlin, Katrina felt her heart pounding. Ken wrapped his arms around her; his face clouded with concern but filled with love. “We’ll get through this,” he whispered. Tears brimmed in her eyes as she shared the reality with him.
But when it came to telling her daughter, the 11-year-old proved to be less than patient. As they attempted to sit her down, she told them she already knew. She informed her parents that, “she wanted to see what was making mommy so sad and why she was crying all the time.”
Katrina’s heart sank. It was a moment neither she nor Ken had anticipated; they embraced their daughter tightly, assuring her that together they would face this challenge.
The next months were tough, filled with doctor visits, treatment plans, and small victories. Each day brought its own struggles, but also moments of light—when she laughed with her tribe, when she experienced the warmth of her family’s love, and when she felt the grace of God guiding her through. She would remind herself that faith was her shield, even amid uncertainty.
With each passing month and every battle she fought, Katrina learned the power of vulnerability. Sharing her fears with her support team turned out to be a liberating experience. Friends rallied together to create “cooking nights” where they would bring healthy dishes, ensuring she had nourishing meals during her treatment. They organized group hugs that fueled her spirit and made her feel less alone.
As the year progressed, Katrina began to celebrate small milestones—her hair grew back thicker than ever after losing it to chemotherapy, and she finally rang the bell at the cancer center signifying the end of her treatment. Each victory became a testament to her resilience.
Twelve years later, sitting in the sunlight, Katrina reflected on her journey. She had morphed from a woman filled with dread into a survivor—an advocate. She began volunteering with breast cancer awareness programs, sharing her journey with those newly diagnosed, instilling hope and encouragement.
Through her experience, Katrina learned that while her diagnosis had altered her life, it had also deepened her faith and strengthened her family bonds. Ken had become her rock, and Kaitlin, now a confident young adult, transformed into an advocate for raising awareness among her peers.
As she took a sip of her tea, Katrina smiled, “Life is a beautiful gift—each moment, an opportunity to love and grow.”
She will forever celebrate not just surviving breast cancer but thriving, all while embracing the strength that faith, family, and community provides.
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