MEMPHIS, Tennessee — A Mid-South woman who’s no stranger to fighting for her life is battling cancer for the third time. Her story shows that she truly has a warrior spirit.
“It’s been interesting because you know when I was 29 that was so young I was just devastated that I had it anyway,” said caner survivor Pam Doherty.
Just over 20 years ago, Doherty found out she had lymphoma, and she beat it. Then in 2016, doctors told her she had breast cancer. She received chemotherapy and radiation determined to recover and she did.
“My leukemia has been a little different because it changes day to day,” Doherty said. “They can just call and say we’re going to do this today or change my medicine.”
This year Doherty was diagnosed with leukemia, her third life-threatening battle.
“It gets a little scary once you hit three different types of cancers that have no relationship to each other at all.”
Doherty travels from Marion, Arkansas to the West Clinic in Memphis to take her treatments and to Vanderbilt to finalize plans for a her stem cell transplant.
She says kept her strong is her faith.
“My church definitely has been my biggest support along with my family,” shared Doherty. “I would not be able to do it without my church and the love for the lord that we have as a family.”
The survivor said to others fighting against cancer, it’s a battle made easier with a devoted support system.
“To be surrounded my people that care about you and they don’t necessarily have to be bring you things or anything but just knowing that they’re praying for you and that they love you.”
Doherty said she’s now waiting for a donor but still living life vibrantly during the wait.