Meet Shannon Sackett, the new Executive
Director of Visions for Youth, who is fighting Breast Cancer
herself at the startling young age of 25. 
According to the American
Cancer Society in the year 2008, 11,000 other young women
between 13 and 39 in the United States, who will need assistance
to battle breast cancer. Sadly each
year the number of young women increases,
Today, there are over 250,000 women under 40 with breast
cancer. Visions for Youth (VFY) wants
to help young people with their battle against this life
threatening disease and others that effect children and young
adults.
With financial help, and
awareness from people like you, many children and young adults
will be able to receive treatment and grant support that is
necessary for survival.
Shannon's
Testimony
At
age 25 being a single Mom, you never think it can happen to you…
I am a single mother, with a loving 9 year old son, Dailyn. I
had a fantastic job working as an executive assistant for a well
known construction company. In January 2007, 5 days after my 25th
birthday, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. Before this point,
I was relatively confident with where my life was headed.
In my early 20’s I had several cists in my breast. On more than
a few occasions I saw different doctors, and one specialist who
told me my cists were nothing to worry about and that they were
normal. Because I was so young, the doctors did not recommend a
mammogram. They all said the same thing; “You are too young to
worry about cancer.”
(Well, they were wrong!)
After several months of self monitoring the lumps in my breast,
I finally forced the doctor to do a mammogram and sure enough,
they found that I was in stage 1 breast cancer with a tumor the
size of a small plum. The doctors immediately began treatment.
I went through chemotherapy and radiation treatment.
It was hard for my employer to relate to my illness. During
radiation, I was out for one hour per day at the end of each day
for a few weeks.
Throughout the treatment I was ill from the medications and
incredibly tired from my radiation treatment.
I was also stressed out about the possibility of
losing my job due to my illness.
After months of medication and treatments, we did not get the
results we were looking for and the specialist recommended that
I get mastectomy and reconstructive surgery. Although I was ill,
I still had many responsibilities as a mother and a full time
executive assistant to a president of a busy firm.
As time went
on, my employer could not handle the after effects of my
illness. My mastectomy kept getting postponed due to
complications with an infection that developed in my breast. End
results I was let go. I was devastated. I strived so hard to
fight my illness and do what I could to keep my job. Not only
did I lose my job, this meant I lost my medical insurance. The
most horrific part, I was let go right before my mastectomy was
scheduled to be done.
I had to
persevere and find a way to survive this dilemma of losing my
employment, dealing with cancer and taking care of my son.
After
doing extensive research, I found out that there is only one
program in the United States who offer assistance to young women
with Breast Cancer between the ages of their
teens to
late thirties. Before the end of December 2007 I am scheduled to
have my mastectomy. This is an unfortunate situation for myself
and other young adults who face similar situations.
I want to make
a difference. and be able to offer other breast cancer victims
programs and grants to help them receive financial and emotional
support.
My Father who
has been involved with Visions For Youth, a non-profit
organization for nearly fifteen years, helped me get an
interview with their board of directors to state my cause.
Exciting to say, they gave me the title of Executive Director.
I now have the opportunity to help young breast cancer victims
and other young people who have serious illnesses.
If you are a
breast cancer survivor or have some other life threatening
illness or know someone who has, VFY has now created programs to
help these afflicted young adults as they fight to survive.
VFY seeks volunteers
and financial support to help young adults
and children with
major illnesses.
Thank you,
Shannon Sackett
Executive Director
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