One Mammogram Saved My Life

One Mammogram Saved My Life — Now I’m Paying It Forward 

How a Simple Tour Turned Into a Life-Saving Mission

For me, it all started with what seemed like just a routine outing, a tour of the Women’s Imaging Center at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Rockwall with my Red Hat group. That day, we met Barbara, a warm and knowledgeable mammography technician who made us all feel at ease. As we wrapped up the tour, Barbara asked if anyone wanted to schedule a mammogram. On a whim, I said yes.

That simple decision changed everything.

At the time, I had just retired from teaching after 37 years and had promised myself I’d take better care of my health. I never imagined anything would come of that mammogram. But a few days later, the phone rang. It was Barbara. They had found something that needed further testing. An ultrasound-guided biopsy confirmed what no one ever wants to hear: I had breast cancer.

The shock hit me like a truck. I’d always been diligent about my screenings. Nothing had ever indicated there was a problem, until there was.

Since then, I’ve made it my mission to ensure other women have access to the same lifesaving screening I did. That’s why I support Texas Health’s Wellness for Life® program.

This remarkable initiative brings mobile health units into our most vulnerable communities, offering mammograms, cervical, prostate cancer screenings, and colon cancer screenings, blood tests for diabetes and high blood pressure, and much more. It has served over 161,000 North Texas residents over the past 32 years.

Critically, the program doesn’t stop at screenings. It covers biopsies and ultrasounds for patients who need them — even if they’re uninsured or facing financial hardship. And if a cancer diagnosis comes, the program helps connect patients to the care they need.

 Your gift can save a life — just like mine. 

By supporting Wellness for Life®, you’re opening the door to vital, possibly life-saving care for someone who might otherwise go without. Join me in making sure every woman, every man, and every family has a chance at early detection and a healthier future.

Donate today — because early detection isn’t just powerful. It’s everything.

Wellness for Life: Delivering Lifesaving Screenings Across Rockwall County 

Since launching site visits in Rockwall County in 2021, the Wellness for Life mobile health program has provided essential breast cancer screenings to 136 women who may not have otherwise had access to care.

• 2023: 3 visits | 17 mammograms
• 2024: 5 visits | 52 mammograms

Last year marked a record high, with a 53% increase in mammograms provided over the previous year. Fifty-two women in 2024 received vital early detection screenings, many of whom may have delayed or missed this care without the mobile unit.

The need is growing — and so is our impact.