Bham DC Photography

It is week 3 of Breast Cancer Awareness, this is Kelsey and her story!

Hi— I am Kelsey! I was diagnosed with breast cancer stage 2 in may of 2024 at 31. No one in my family had had cancer, so this was a shock. I found a pain in my breast in April. Once I was diagnosed everything happened FAST.
At the time I was a single mom of 3 in a 6 month long long-distance relationship. Timing was awful. But God was still good.
I had a double mastectomy in June. My results came back that I was 37% likely to have cancer again so I went through 5 months of chemo. I lost my hair. I gained a lot of weight due to steroids. I did not look or feel like myself. Some days felt isolating, embarrassing, and scary. But the relationships I had with friends and with Cody were life changing.
Beauty from ashes is what I held onto during the pain of my divorce and it’s what I held onto during my cancer battle. Will I ever be happy I had cancer? No— but am I thankful for who I am because of it? Yes! I am a stronger mother, wife, friend, and person because of it. I see beauty in the every day. I see how God took brokenness and made it beautiful. In November I will be a year post chemo, married, and happier than I ever have been!