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KAYSVILLE — A Kaysville woman has turned her battle with breast cancer into a tool for helping others who are fighting the disease.
Ginger Johnson's cause comes with a unique and often confusing catch phrase — "Happy Chemo." It's written all over her car. She says it turns a lot of heads, but she hopes her message will also help cancer patients see that even though chemotherapy is tough, attitude is everything.
Johnson is recruiting people, including cancer-survivors, for her statewide cause. "You know what? Cancer means something, and we need to stand together," she said.
Helping build the Utah Cancer Action Network is just one way she now reaches out to people who are in for the fight of their life.
- A lump or thickening in the breast or under the arm.
- A change in the size, shape or texture of the breast.
- Pain in your breast or nipple, which doesn't go away.
- A nipple that is very tender.
- Nipple dishcarge, either clear or bloody when not nursing a baby.
- A change in the color or feel of the ski of the breast or areola, such as dimpling, puckering, scaling, redness or swelling.
- Change from a protruding nipple to one that turns in.
Source: HappyChemo.com
"I look at cancer as this awesome, amazing gift," she said. "But it came wrapped in really, really ugly wrapping paper."
Johnson was diagnosed with breast cancer while she was pregnant with her son. "I was in the best shape of my life, so cancer was the last thing on my mind," she said.
But she says she learned fighting cancer meant helping others do the same. "Before my treatment would begin, I would stand in front of the room and sing them all a song," she said.
The songs and gifts weremeant to brighten the day for other cancer patients, maybe bring a bit of happiness before that difficult chemotherapy.
"You can never know the good if you've never known the bad," she said. "You can never be happy if you've never been sad."
Her effort has expanded into Happy Chemo, an online community and resource for anyone dealing with cancer in their lives. Sometimes the message throws people off.
- Date: Friday, Sept. 14
- Time: Check-in and breakfast 7:30 a.m. - 8:15 a.m.; Shotgun start 8:30 a.m.
- Location: River Oaks Golf Course (9300 S. Riverside Drive, Sandy, Utah)
- Registration Fees: $400 for a team; $100 for an individual.
Visit http://happychemo.com/feelemupcup.htm for more information.
Cancer survivor Stephanie Galley said, "I thought, what? Chemo's not happy."
Galley is a member of Young Survivor Sisters, one of many groups now partnered with Happy Chemo.
Another member of that group, Jennifer Olsen, said, "Even though you're going through a really rough time, and it's very, very difficult, there are people out there who care."
With the help of a song and a quirky car, Johnson spreads a simple but potentially powerful message to look at it as a tool to build you and strengthen you. She hopes others will realize cancer doesn't have to be a curse.
In addition to a little positive energy and gifts, Happy Chemo helps cancer patients find resources and products that can help them in their own unique fight.
