Photo courtesy of the Hawkins family.
1012 Mary Hawkins Breast Cancer
Breast cancer survivor Mary Hawkins prepares for last year’s Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure with her grandchildren, Virginia and Patrick.
Mary Hawkins has known breast cancer for most her life. Her mother battled it when Hawkins was a child, and she received her own diagnosis at age 47. She said after watching the savagery of the disease unfold when she was young, she was truly surprised to face it again as an adult.
Hawkins, a 30-year resident of the Edgewood community, said when she was diagnosed in 1994 she wondered if breast cancer was genetic, but there was no genetic test at the time. For four years after her diagnosis, she went to the UAB Comprehensive Breast Cancer Center to have regular mammograms, and when genetic testing became available, both Hawkins and her sister were tested.
Both tested positive for the breast cancer gene, and both elected after research to have double mastectomies. Throughout her journey, Hawkins remained dedicated to educating herself on anything and everything regarding breast cancer, and she urges others fighting the disease to do the same. Research helped her when she needed to make decisions about reconstructive surgery.
“I was really against having breast implants and researched a fat relocation surgery that could be used to reconstruct breasts,” Hawkins said. “Never stop educating yourself and asking questions. Don’t be afraid to follow your instincts or get tested.”
Research led Hawkins to more life-saving information in the following years. According to cancer.gov, traits for both breast and ovarian cancer can be passed down genetically. So when a test was released that could determine a woman’s genetic predisposition to ovarian cancer, Hawkins had the procedure and learned she was definitely at risk. She had her ovaries removed, but her sister didn’t. Hawkins’ sister later contracted ovarian cancer and was put through grueling chemotherapy and radiation treatments.
“It truly has been a family battle,” she said.
Since her reconstruction surgery, Hawkins has been cancer free and celebrates life every year at the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure. She organized a Komen team at UAB where she is getting ready to retire from her position as a technician in the immunology lab.
“It’s nice to have an organization like the Komen Foundation to help breast cancer patients through the disease,” Hawkins said. “When my mother was diagnosed, there were no support groups or outlets available. Support is one of the main reasons I made it through sane!”
With more support from her husband, Billy Shannon, and her sons Sean and Brian, Mary is looking forward to spending her retirement continuing to volunteer at her church, Our Lady of Sorrows, and spending time with her grandchildren.
“The main advice that I would give to women (battling breast cancer) is the three things I remembered during my experience, Hawkins said. “One, find support. It makes the experience easier. Two, educate yourself. Know all possible treatment plans and what your comfortable with. And three, follow your instincts and continue to get yourself tested.”
Looking back on her life, Hawkins takes a positive outlook on her experiences and encourages others to do the same.
“Breast cancer changes your life to a certain extent as you feel your mortality every day,” she said. “It takes a lot less to make you happy after you’ve survived it then before you had it.”
