Debbie Jones - My Pink Purse Breast Cancer Awareness Raffle

Our Hats Off To An Inspiring Survivor!

Congratulations to Debbie Jones, the My Pink Purse - Survivor Essentials Breast Cancer Awareness raffle winner. Debbie was chosen out of over 1,000 participants who entered to win a WHM large leather purse and wallet set, filled with products from BeautiControl, thanks to brand representative Tina Shannon! Debbie’s story is one that offers inspiration to women everywhere, driven by strength and faith. In 2008, Debbie moved from St. Louis to Kansas City, MO to take a position as principle of an area school. Being under a lot of stress from the move and new opportunity, she began feeling very ill suddenly. Shortly after these feelings began, she began to notice a painful sensitivity to her left breast, and discovered a lump. Being very concerned she met with her physician, who diagnosed the lump as an infection, and prescribed Debbie with antibiotics to fight it off. To be safe, Debbie’s doctor ordered a biopsy to be done. Debbie was attending a conference out of town, when she received a life changing phone call from her doctor, informing her that she had stage 2 breast cancer. In utter disbelief, Debbie scheduled an appointment to receive a second opinion from another Health Care facility that specialized in the treatment of Breast Cancer. Her diagnosis of stage 2 breast cancer was confirmed in June of 2010. Seeking the best treatment option possible, her and a team of medical professionals gathered to make a plan. They decided that chemotherapy would be the best route of action, and she began going to treatments in September 2010. Following the every other week, eight hour treatments, came a pain and discomfort that Debbie has trouble describing. She attempts to relate it to a “hang over to the twentieth power”, nothing like she’s ever felt before. “It was pretty dramatic,” says Debbie. “it was a very, very, emotional process.” To accompany the physical discomfort, emotional stresses are one of the toughest things that women deal with while struggling to battle cancer. Trying to continue living a regular life, waking up to take her kids to school every morning, continuing to work at her job on a flexible schedule thanks to her understanding employer, and being the confident, caring mother and partner she always had been, was no easy task. Once the cancer had been attacked by months of chemotherapy treatments, Debbie’s left breast was removed to cut off the spread of cancer to the rest of her body. She continued to receive radiation treatments, five days a week for thirty-six treatments. Debbie says faith in God was what helped her through everything she endured. “The best advice is prayer, I tell everyone, Isaiah 54:17, ‘No weapon that is formed against you shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against you in judgement you shall condemn...” She has been cancer free for 2 years. During her trials, another very important inspiration for Debbie was the of an Associate Minister at her church, who was battling breast cancer herself. During her battle, the pastor’s wife was strong, offering inspiration and support the whole time. She passed away this year, but continues to be an important part of Debbie’s life, and her story.