Anabel’s Angels’ Makeover Winner: Donna Almost Didn’t Have The Mammogram That Discovered Breast Cancer

In October, we gave four people who are currently dealing with cancer or who have survived it a makeover, courtesy of Anabel's Angels, a 501c3 nonprofit organization designed to provide support to underfunded clinical trials and programs for the terminally ill and physically afflicted. One of the winners is Donna Russell from South Portland, Maine. She had this to say about herself:

I have always been afraid of mammograms. I'm not sure why — That was the minor part. My aunt was diagnosed in January 2016, and that pushed me to get my 1st mammo in March 2016 at 44 years old. Good thing I did… I was originally diagnosed Stage IIB; however, after 3 surgeries, the size of the tumor put me into Stage IIIA. That result put me into 5 months of chemo and 12 weeks of radiation. I did have my ups and downs and at one point, I couldn't figure out why losing my hair bothered me so much; then, I realized it wasn't the loss of hair, it was the way I didn't want people to look at me. I didn't want them to have pity on me. Radiation was a little tough. I survived, and I'm here to tell my story and give encouragement to those that need it.

Thank you for sharing your experience with us. It is Anabel's Angels' hope and our hope to bring light into our listeners' lives and put smiles on the faces of people who need a little pampering with a makeover.

To find out more about Anabel's Angels Inc. or to make a donation, click here: Donate To Anabel's Angels