Breast cancer survivor Nicole McKinstry’s perspective on life as a 15-year survivor is far different from the twentysomething hit with a stage II diagnosis.

Saturday morning, the Air Force master sergeant volunteered at the 2018 Komen North Texas Wichita Falls Race for the Cure. The event celebrates survivors and raises money and awareness to fight breast cancer.

At 27 years old, Nicole felt angry and scared when doctors told her about the cancer and predicted treatment would affect her ability to have children.

But her experience with breast cancer taught her gratitude.

“I know that life is not promised,” she said. “I’m really able to live every day knowing it’s a gift.”

She is eager to get the word out about regular screenings.

“I’m a big proponent of women starting as young as they can to check their breasts,” Nicole said.

“Life happens. Your body changes,” she said. “It’s better if you know your body, and if something appears different, you can go to the doctor and get it checked out.”

Last year, she and her husband, Staff Sgt. Jevre McKinstry, had a third child.

Nicole said she will definitely be teaching Hannah, her 1-year-old “miracle baby,” about breast cancer.

Stationed at Sheppard Air Force Base for four years, Nicole loves volunteering for the Komen organization and wants people to know detection methods are improving, she said.

Fundraising through Race for the Cure might get new technology to detect breast cancer out faster, Nicole said.

The race was headquartered at the Multi-Purpose Events Center as usual, but it had a new route this year, Hannah Beaty, marketing manager for Komen North Texas, said.

Instead of going through downtown streets, participants took the trail along the Wichita River and the path through Lucy Park, and then looped back to the MPEC, Beaty said.

Also this year, the Promise Parade to celebrate and honor breast cancer survivors followed opening remarks and helped kick off the 1-mile family fun run and 5-kilometer “race.”

Nicole said she is helping with registration, volunteer coordination and other duties.

About fifteen years ago, she had just come back from a deployment to Kuwait when her doctor had cause to send her for a mammogram, which yielded suspicious results.

A biopsy confirmed stage II breast cancer, the 43-year-old said.

“It was very scary because I had none of the symptoms that they list on the brochures,” she said.

Nicole had no family history of the disease, except for a great aunt who had breast cancer at 88.

The five-year relative survival rate for stage II is about 93 percent these days, according to the American Cancer Society.

“They told us in chemo that I would be sterile,” Nicole said, adding, “so to have three kids, especially a 1-year-old, I’m very grateful.”

She and her husband also have two sons, Jevre Jr., 8, and Asa, 6.

“I just learned to be very appreciative of health care in America and for my family,” she said. “For every day of memories that you’re allowed to make, you should take advantage of that.”

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