As someone who’s had breast cancer, Debbie Sudduth knows the importance of getting a regular check-up and mammogram. 

“I cannot shout from the treetops enough; you have got to be checked,” said Sudduth. 

To this local educator, Breast Cancer Awareness Month is just another opportunity to say, ‘get checked.’ 

“If it hadn’t been for that check-up in 2013, doctors would not have been able to start treatment so soon,” she said. “I’m sure it would have been deadly if I didn’t have a yearly physical. It was 3.5 centimeters, stage 2B, when it was found. I had to have chemo, because it was also found to be in my lymph nodes. It was on its way to spreading.” 

Sudduth said she didn’t notice any changes in her body at the outset. It was all the physician’s observations. “She asked if I had noticed I had a lump. I said no and it went from there.” 

A self-acclaimed optimist, Sudduth said she initially brushed off any severity. “Now, knowing what we know about cancer, I would have known they don’t rush you to get things done, unless they think it’s something.” 

“They don’t call with good information at 6 o’clock at night . . . . Our family knows that now,” said Sudduth. 

After a year of chemo and lots of healing, Sudduth is considered recovered by her physicians as of today. Though her cancer was temporary, Sudduth said she still has to go twice a year for a check-up. 

Physically, the hardest part, Sudduth said, was hair loss. “I’m very vain.” She jokes, but at the time it was difficult. She knows the power of a compliment. 

Sudduth recalled when her hair first started thinning, she got most of her lengths chopped off. Stopping at the store on the way home after the haircut, the cashier complimented her hair. “And I think the Lord told her to tell me that because she had no idea that I just had my hair cut off because it was falling out,” Sudduth said. “If you think you’re supposed to say something to somebody, say it, because you never know.” 

Sudduth also says even giving the smallest gift or card or text can mean something to a cancer patient. “Because that lets them know that they’re not alone. Anything to help them stay positive.” 

Despite the hair loss, Sudduth believes she was very fortunate. Through six rounds of hard chemo, she did not experience excessive sickness. 

Was it scary? 

“Nah,” she said. “It’s just not our personality.” 

But everyone’s cancer and chemo path are different. Whether the outcome is good or bad, the main thing is to make sure you don’t miss the blessing in it. “That’s how we look at stuff.” 

That’s an important perspective to have. Six months after her breast cancer diagnosis, her husband, Brad, was diagnosed with a rare form of pancreatic cancer. It eventually disabled him from public work, and after about 7 years of battling the cancer, he passed away in July. 

On top of trying to focus on getting well, it was a financial hit. Sudduth said they’re generally not shy and are good at asking questions, but they’re not always good at asking for help. 

“You can’t do it alone, so you have to depend on people,” she advised. 

Sudduth is a Cascade High School geometry teacher. Still a working woman — and one who can’t sit still — she would work for two weeks, then take a week off during her chemo treatment. Meanwhile, she started Debbie’s Lemonade Stand, which she said is expanding today. Her “lemonade stand,” where she also sells pre-owned clothes and second-hand jewelry, is on the website Teachers Pay Teachers, as well as Mercari, Poshmark, and Facebook Marketplace. But having already gone through their emergency funds when Brad was diagnosed, they relied on the generosity of others, especially the Bedford County Cancer Foundation. 

Sudduth’s daughter, Shelby Taylor, is a board member of the Bedford County Cancer Foundation. “In 2009, a group of friends knew someone who was fighting cancer and they wanted to help them. So, that’s where it all kind of started,” said Taylor. She joined in 2017, she says, “after Mom and during Dad’s treatments.” 

They help patients pay their mortgages, rent, utilities, and groceries. “We provide assistance where needed for Bedford County residents,” said Taylor. “It’s by Bedford County, for Bedford County,” said Sudduth. 

They are a 501c3 nonprofit organization. They have two main fundraising events in the year: The Walking for Cancer Horse Show in the Spring and The Bet Against Cancer Casino Night, which will be Nov. 18 from 7-11 p.m. at the Blue Ribbon Circle. 

They also take donations and memorials throughout the year. The two main requirements are being a Bedford County resident for at least a year and actively fighting cancer and undergoing treatment. 

For Taylor, being a part of the cancer foundation has been an opportunity to give back to the community. The Bedford County Cancer Foundation and other people as well gave our family so much, she said. 

Life without Brad has been an adjustment for this wife and daughter. Through tearful eyes, Sudduth says simply, “It’s been tough.” 

They’ve had to learn how to do home and car repairs on their own. With both parents having gone through cancer, Taylor said it’s allowed her to grow closer to her sisters. 

“It’s OK to not be OK and realize that,” she said. Genetic testing has also given the daughters peace of mind. But they are still encouraged to start mammograms as early as possible.