Breast cancer walk returns to Foster Park | Lifestyles

One woman realized just how important getting a mammogram was the hard way.

Heidi Ramsey, an employee at Tipton Transmission Plant (TTP), always had heard that screening for breast cancer was important, but she had no intention of getting a mammogram of her own. However, her gynecologist kept urging her to get one since she was 42 at the time, and eventually she gave in.

As it turned out, the mammogram likely saved her life. Ramsey was diagnosed with breast cancer, but it still was in stage one.

“It was very unexpected. I was 42, never had a mammogram, never felt I needed one because breast cancer didn’t run on my mother’s side. I looked at it as I would never get it,” she said.

In March 2015, doctors found breast cancer in Ramsey’s milk duct, which she said is a type of breast cancer that’s known as the silent killer since self-breast exams can’t detect it.

After being diagnosed, Ramsey was tested for the BRCA gene, which is a gene that has been found to impact a person’s chances of developing breast cancer. Through the test, she found out her breast cancer had been passed down to her from her dad’s side of the family. Since she thought breast cancer only was passed down through the maternal side of the family, she didn’t realize the cases of breast cancer on her dad’s side of the family could affect her. All of her dad’s sisters and nieces had breast cancer and subsequent double mastectomies.

Prior to working at TTP, Ramsey worked in the medical field for a breast cancer surgeon and did the scheduling for him. She knew the ins and outs of cancer treatment, and she made a vow to herself early on that if she ever got breast cancer she would not do chemotherapy.

“I was very adamant about it. I watched too many women go through too much, so I said I would never do it,” she said.

As it turned out, Ramsey didn’t need chemotherapy due to the fact the cancer was detected early, and “only 0.01 percent had jumped out of the margin.”

While working in the medical field, she also had seen women have single mastectomies only to have the cancer come back a couple years later in the other breast. That’s why, she said, she immediately knew she’d opt for a double mastectomy. In May, she had the surgery, and she was declared cancer-free in June.

Since then, she has been going for checkups every six months, and recently that was bumped down to once a year.

Ramsey said she knew it was a close call, and she now strongly encourages other women to get mammograms, even if they think they can’t be affected. According to the American Cancer Society’s latest guidelines, all women should begin having yearly mammograms by age 45 and can choose to have mammograms every other year beginning at age 55. Women who are at high risk can opt to begin screening yearly as early as age 40.

“I was lucky, very, very, very lucky,” she said. “I don’t take any day for granted no matter what crosses my path or what happens. I thank God every day that I did listen to my gynecologist because I’m a very, very stubborn woman. [The mammogram] saved my life. It absolutely did.”

On Sunday, Oct. 21, Ramsey will be the survivor speaker for the UAW 685 Women’s Committee’s fourth annual Making Strides for Breast Cancer Walk, which is returning to Foster Park.

Ramsey said she hopes her speech inspires other women to take their health seriously.

Registration for the walk begins at 1 p.m. with the survivor ceremony at 1:45 p.m., and the program and walk at 2 p.m.

Leading up to the event, the five area FCA US LLC plants have been hosting fund raisers and gate collections to help support the event. The plants also are participating in the Bras Across the Wildcat event by decorating bras that will be hung across the bridge in Foster Park ahead of the walk. The public also is invited to decorate a bra. Participants during the walk will be able to vote for their favorite decorated bra by dropping change in a bucket, and all funds will go to the American Cancer Society.

Decorated bras can be turned in ahead of the event at UAW Local 685 at 929 E. Hoffer St. Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., or bring them the day of the walk at 12 p.m., as the bras will be hung on the bridge between 12 and 1 p.m.

Organizer Tammy Mohr said she’s looking forward to another successful event and is aiming to raise upwards of $30,000. Since the event was started, she said the support from the community has been overwhelming.

“There was a need here because for four years our community went without a walk specific to breast cancer. The first year we had it, the park was packed, and it’s been that way ever since. It’s just great when you come to one how important it is to the community. You see how many families and people that breast cancer hits,” Mohr said. “And I always say, ‘You never know if you’re the next one. You never know when you go get your mammogram if you’re going to be the next person.’”

T-shirts are for sale ahead of the walk. To place an order, call Mohr at 765-419-1957, Antoinette Jones at 765-271-4109, or Helen Williams at 765-450-8019. For more information about the walk, visit www.makingstrideswalk.org/UAWIN.