Phenix City Woman Defeats Breast Cancer Twice

COLUMBUS, Ga. (WTVM) - According to the National Breast Cancer Foundation, one in 8 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in her lifetime. Some women experience breast cancer recurrence and have to fight the fight more than once.

61-year-old Priscilla Wilson has been fighting her battle for a total of twenty years, through it all she says her faith in God is what has helped her the most.

“When you go through so much and the things that you went through with and you know that it wasn’t nobody but the Lord that did it for you, why not be happy?” says Wilson.

Wilson was diagnosed with Breast Cancer at the age of 41 in 2002, but that was not her only battle.

On Christmas Day in 2015 Wilson’s husband passed away and in that following year in 2016 her life went back to revolving around breast cancer treatment.

“That February I had thyroid surgery and then a couple months later, I was diagnosed with cancer again. Seems like all of that was back-to-back,” says Wilson.

Wilson says she is thankful for the staff at the John B. Amos Cancer Center and Cancer Treatment Centers of America in Newnan- not only for the medical treatment but for emotional support groups as well. She says through the support groups she learned she was not the only one going through a hard time.

“I told them in the group meeting ‘all my hair is gone’ and all of them took their wigs off and let me know ‘you’re not the only one,’” says Wilson.

Her message to others dealing with breast cancer is to have a supportive team in your corner.

“Anything negative around you get away from it because it will break you down so think positive and get around positive people,” says Wilson.

One of the positive people in Wilson’s corner is her son Jeremy. While in high school during her second bout with cancer, he spent his summers at his mother’s bedside.

“I just knew she was going to be okay, so I wasn’t worried about anything I just knew she’d get through it,” says Jeremy.

And she did get through it. As of June of this year, Wilson is cancer free.

“Yes, I am cancer free, says Wilson, “I feel really good and thankful.”

Wilson is the pastor of Pleasant Grove AME Church in Seale, AL. She says her church family contributes to the positive group of people she surrounded herself with.

Wilson is a part of the Women of Destiny Outreach Ministries, a group of women who help those in need during their battle with cancers of all kinds.

Wilson wants to stress everyone to schedule their mammograms and do self-breast exams.

“Take care of yourself, go to your doctors, do what you’re supposed to do,” says Wilson.

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