After losing her mother to cancer as a child, Carrie’s relationship with God grew stronger than ever. In fact, her faith is what guided her into her own survivorship journey when she was diagnosed with breast cancer abroad in 2015.
Carrie is a USC graduate and former biomedical engineer who switched careers when God called upon her to serve a mission in Ethiopia in 2011. She always prioritized her health and wellbeing, but it was at the start of her mission when she learned the significance of self-breast exams, especially given her family history. Four years later, she felt a change in her breast. There was a lump which was later confirmed to be breast cancer.
Despite uncertainty, Carrie’s courage remained unshaken. She returned home, guided by faith and the knowledge that she was not alone. Dr. Ravi Patel and CBCC became her allies in outsmarting cancer. “I’ve learned that being a person of faith, there’s only a couple of directions I can go, like I could get bitter or I can get better,” Carrie shares.
Getting Through Treatment
Throughout her treatment, Carrie leaned into her faith and her family, finding solace and inspiration in her relationship with God. Carrie’s journey was fortified by a community that rallied around her. Her family, her church, the American Cancer Society, and Links For Life, all stood by her side. Through the darkest times, her faith grew stronger. “Anybody who trusts in God, anyone who puts their faith in him will not be put to shame. That’s what his word says. And that’s exactly what God wants us to do when tough things come our way.”
Carrie’s road to survivorship was not without its challenges, yet her resilience shone. “It’s been a battle, in some cases, like I’m just not quite the same physically, but that’s okay. I’m getting back there,” she affirms. Her strength, her faith, and the extraordinary care she received from CBCC, from scans to blood work to chemotherapy and treatment, particularly from Dr. Patel, played a pivotal role in her healing journey.
“I really felt like God directly gave me Dr. Patel as my oncologist,” she acknowledges. The bond she shares with her provider team goes beyond medical treatment – it’s a testament to compassionate care and a family that stood beside her. “It’s almost like family, another family,” she says.
Getting Back to Life
She emerged from treatment with a profound realization that true beauty emanates from within. “Cancer doesn’t define me, I am who I am,” Carrie says. With a renewed sense of purpose, she vowed to continue serving others, a promise she made to God. “God, if you’ll keep breath in my lungs, I want to continue to serve people.”
Upon survivorship, she returned to the mission field, and has since reconnected with the Bakersfield community where she got involved with Links For Life and became a beacon of hope for other survivors. Her journey through cancer was not just a personal one; it was an opportunity to inspire, heal, and uplift others on similar paths, something Carrie continues to do each day.
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Cancer
Breast Cancer Survivor
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Diagnosed
2015
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Treating Physician
Ravi Patel, MD, FACP
