Monica Helm, cancer patient walks to raise awareness on breast cancer

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Monica Helm of Paris was diagnosed with breast cancer in May of 2022 and has undergone three surgeries since. In June she had a double mastectomy and expanders were put into place for reconstruction surgery. Unfortunately, in July she got an infection in one of the expanders and had to have them replaced. Helm was also on an IV antibiotic for two weeks to rid her body of the infection.

“In August, I started my first chemo treatment, but it set off the infection, so they had to remove the expanders again, and I did another month of at-home IV antibiotics. I am currently doing chemo and so far, it’s going very well. I am able to work, ride the side-by-side on the trails and play with my 14 grandkids with another on the way in May,” stated Helm.

Helm along with a friend, Kenetha Hill started the local cancer walk 6 years ago in memory of Hill’s sister, Jerry Ann Hill who had breast cancer and her brother, Rufus Hill who passed away from colon cancer. “Once they found out I had cancer they asked me to help them make it bigger. I’m all about benefits and activities in our community, so I was able to get 48 people together for a total of 60 participants, men, women and children,” Helm added.

Two of Helm’s high school classmates; Connie Murray and Tan Brown, attended the event in wheelchairs. “They have had a much worse go of it than me, but I was thankful they were able to come out to help us get the word out about yearly checkups, mammograms and self-breast exams,” said Helm.

Helm went on to say, “Thanks to the good Lord, we were able to catch my breast cancer very early due to a  yearly mammogram. I can not stress enough how important it is to get your mammograms yearly especially if you have cancer in your family like I do. My grandmother had breast cancer and passed away from it about 30 years ago. Cancer treatments have changed so much since then and in some cases are much easier to handle. In my case, I was already stage 2 and it was very aggressive so if I had waited it would have more than likely spread to other tissue and things could have been much worse.”

Next year at the annual Pumpkin Festival, which is when the walk takes place, Helm would like for many more to come out and walk and possibly raise money for those currently fighting breast cancer and raise awareness of just how important it is to get your annual mammogram.

“I thank God for holding my hand during this time, because without him opening the doors to me getting the mammogram early and the doors to the right doctors, who knows where I would be at this point,” said Helm.