By Jessica Jun

Staff Writer

@jesse_jun16

Breast cancer is known to be the second most common cause of death in the United States. Oftentimes, women who are diagnosed with breast cancer panic, fear death and lose much hope. However, this is not the case for all women.

On July 29, 2009, Donna Fultz, mother of two boys and wife of Tony Fultz, was diagnosed with Stage 2 breast cancer.

“I could feel the lump and it was real tender,” Fultz said. “The nurse had actually told me not to worry about it at first because it wasn’t supposed to hurt if it was breast cancer, but it kept hurting and something just didn’t feel right so I went to get it checked. I wasn’t thinking it’d be anything like breast cancer because it wasn’t in my family history, so that was the furthest thing from my mind.”

But when the doctors saw something suspicious, they performed a biopsy and confirmed that she had breast cancer. Right away, Fultz began with the long treatment process, starting with chemotherapy. With having chemo treatment once a month for six months, followed by surgery and radiation, taking care of her elementary kids at home and being involved with the school PTO, it became very easy to lose energy and passion, but Fultz continued to fight and stay hopeful.

“I just had this inner feeling that everything was going to be OK,” Fultz said “I was scared and really just hated for my kids to have to see me sick, but I just had an inner peace that it was all going to be alright.”

The treatments showed positive outcomes and the tumor began to shrink. The doctors performed a lumpectomy, took some surrounding issues and two lymph nodes and followed with radiation. Fultz, used her kids, Jack, her oldest, and Kyle, her youngest, as her motivation, Fultz continued to battle the disease.

“Being positive was very hard for me to do,” said Jack, a junior at Coppell High School. “It wouldn’t leave my mind and I could barely focus in school. The thought of losing my mom to cancer was one of the worst feelings I’ve experienced.”

Although at a younger age, Jack’s younger brother, Kyle, was also worried for his mom.

“I never doubted my mother,” said Kyle, a CHS freshman. “But I never doubted cancer either. I was scared for my mother and expected the worst.”

Despite their doubts and worries, Fultz kept her faith and used her positivity to help carry her through the fight. Slowly, but surely, Fultz was winning her battle.

“When I overcame it, it was great and I was so ready for it to be over,” Fultz said. “After the first chemo treatment was working, I just stayed positive and knew that it was working and I just needed to keep fighting and stay positive and keep busy. I was just very eager to keep pushing and not let it stop me from doing what I wanted to do.”

Her family was excited to see her back to herself, stronger than ever before. Despite the hardships and the traumatic experience, the Fultz family survived the fight and came out much closer to one another.

“To see my mom overcome her battle was very inspiring,” Jack said. “For her to have fought off this terrible disease every day and still be active was an amazing feat. Every year we try and celebrate the day she was diagnosed and we always try and do something adventurous.

“My mom continues to inspire me. Through my mom, I’ve learned that you never truly know how strong you are until being strong is the only choice you have.”

Six years later, Fultz continues to celebrate her victory over cancer every year during Breast Cancer Awareness month by participating in the annual October Susan G. Komen Walk and has walked her seventh race this year in 2015. Every fifth year, Fultz participates in the survivor walk which celebrates the women who have overcome their battle.

“It’s actually really great and emotional,” Fultz said. “All the survivors get together and pray and everybody is standing on the sides cheering us on. It just feels great that I did it and I won and I survived and everything I went through just comes back.

“But you’re in it together; once you’ve had cancer, you’re connected together in such a way with other cancer patients and nobody really understands what you’ve been through. And a total stranger could be walking next to you in the survival walk but you’re all walking together and everyone is just cheering you on. And to see those ladies hold ‘30 or more years’ signs up… It’s great. It’s amazing.”
Fultz, as a cancer survivor, hopes that other moms and families who may be experiencing the same thing will stay positive, keep faith, and keep fighting. Rather than letting fear overcome the mind, allow the mind to overpower fear.