1 of 4
Photo by Erin Nelson.
Pam Cannon, a breast cancer survivor, is one of the founders of the Ribbon Warriors cancer support group that meets at Grandview Cancer Center on the first and third Thursdays of the month, both in person and virtually.
2 of 4
Photos by Erin Nelson.
Stella White, center, speaks with her peers during a meeting of the Ribbon Warriors cancer support group at Grandview Cancer Center on Sept. 7.
3 of 4
Photos by Erin Nelson.
Pam Huff, a longtime news anchor at ABC 33/40, shares her story about her diagnosis and recovery process from breast cancer.
4 of 4
Photos by Erin Nelson.
Christian Cockerham, a co-founder of the Ribbon Warriors cancer support group, speaks.
Pam Cannon said she thought she was the girl who would not get cancer. She ate healthy, played tennis, walked regularly and got her mammograms every year.
However, there was a family history on her mother’s side, as two of Cannon’s aunts passed away from breast cancer in the 1970s.
“I learned in 2020 that cancer is no respecter of persons,” Cannon said. “You can do all the right things, and still cancer can still manage to find you.”
After finding a lump on her left breast, Cannon called her gynecologist, and two weeks later (due to the Covid pandemic), she went in for a mammogram and sonogram.
“The next morning, as I was standing in my kitchen drinking coffee, my doctor called me at 8:15 a.m. with the results,” Cannon said. “I knew this could not be good due to his early morning call.”
Cannon had a large tumor surrounded by smaller tumors in her breast. The next step was a biopsy at a breast imaging center, and as the technician probed under her left armpit for a lengthy amount of time, she said she knew in her heart it wasn’t good.
A few days later her doctor had a video call with her and gave her the results: HER2-positive, stage three breast cancer.
Her doctor described it as “highly treatable and highly curable.”
“I held on to those words for the next 12-18 months and as the song goes, I truly learned to take one day at a time [sweet Jesus],” Cannon said.
Photos by Erin Nelson.
Stella White, center, speaks with her peers during a meeting of the Ribbon Warriors cancer support group at Grandview Cancer Center on Sept. 7.
After her second treatment, Cannon said she fell to her knees in utter exhaustion due to the fatigue caused by chemo and told God she couldn’t do this. She said she immediately thought of the Bible verse Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”
With help from her daughters, along with other family and friends, Cannon said she watched as God orchestrated every single step of her cancer journey. She said for the first time in her life she believed that “God was telling me to slow down, be still. I have a plan and you're going to have to just wait.”
As she went for her infusions every three weeks, she said that the doctors and nurses at Grandview Cancer Center quickly became a significant part of her family. After her second or third round of chemo, she told her oncologist to let her know of any other women going through cancer and that she would be glad to provide encouragement and advice.
“He said, ‘Funny you should ask, because we don’t have a cancer support group here at Grandview and I’m wondering if you’d be willing to start one.’ I know full well the reason God allowed me to have breast cancer is so that I could walk beside women like myself and give them hope even in the midst of the raging storm.”
Following six rounds of chemo and a bilateral mastectomy, in December 2020 Cannon was declared cancer free. The next month she began taking Herceptin, another form of chemotherapy, and had reconstruction surgery in May 2021.
Less than two months later, Cannon, along with a few other patients and two other Grandview staff members, began the Ribbon Warriors cancer group at Grandview. Kristi Denny is the breast health & genetic navigator at Grandview Cancer Center and Christian Cockerham head up the program.
Photos by Erin Nelson.
Pam Huff, a longtime news anchor at ABC 33/40, shares her story about her diagnosis and recovery process from breast cancer.
Denny has been in breast imaging for over 25 years, and in her role at Grandview, she takes care of newly diagnosed breast cancer patients by getting them in with the team of doctors. As one of the co-founders of the group, her initial reaction was panic. She prayed about it and trusted that even though she didn’t feel equipped for the role, God must have wanted her to do it.
“I took a leap of faith and just ran with it,” Denny said. “Sometimes the greatest blessings come from trusting that you are put in a place for a bigger reason than yourself and getting out of your comfort zone is fruitful. As a breast cancer survivor myself, I have a unique perspective for those I serve. While I work in this field, I am also a patient.”
The group welcomes anyone going through cancer, no matter the type, and guests do not have to be a patient at Grandview to attend the meetings. They are held the first Thursday of the month at 9:30 a.m. and the third Tuesday of the month at 6 p.m. at Grandview Oncology/Radiation Center on the first floor. Their motto is Isaiah 41:10, “fight without fear,” and group members receive bracelets with the verse on them.
Being open to anyone with any kind of cancer is what makes the Ribbon Warriors so unique.
“Cancer can be a daunting journey and people need different things,” Denny said. “Some need a friend, some need an ear, some need more palpable things like assistance with transportation or food. Our members are givers and it is truly amazing to see how God uses them all differently to help others who come our way.”
“It is so amazing how people will walk in [to the group] and be a little timid at first, then they realize it's a safe place and the other people are relating,” Cannon added. “You’re having all these issues you’re dealing with and we’re just walking this with you.”
Denny said one thing about cancer survivors is that they deeply want to give back, and the group does that in unique ways. One member makes quilts to give out to newly diagnosed patients, and they have a small library of faith-based books provided by a ladies ministry. She added, “Small things make a huge difference in the life of someone walking through cancer.”
The Ribbon Warriors group recently celebrated its two-year anniversary and continues to grow. Cannon said that she’s happy when a new person joins the group, but also sad because it means someone else is struggling with cancer. She said her participation in this group is one of the greatest joys of her life.
Photos by Erin Nelson.
Christian Cockerham, a co-founder of the Ribbon Warriors cancer support group, speaks.
When Cannon retired in 2021, she said she didn’t like it at first but is grateful for the time she now has to work with the cancer support group and serve at Church of the Highlands — Greystone. One of her new mottos is, “Sometimes you find your calling, but sometimes your calling finds you.”
For Denny, the group has become a ministry. She said she has always prayed to find a palpable way to be used to truly impact others, and this is it.
“The thing I didn't think I could ever do is the thing I am most passionate about,” she said. “This year we lost three of our members, and that was so very hard on me mentally and emotionally. I realized as I walked through my own grief in that situation, that I was showing others how to deal with that loss as well. For any cancer patient, regardless of where you are in the journey, losing people to cancer brings back a lot of fear. I am so grateful we all get to lean on each other and walk through that together.”
