ORLANDO, Fla. - During Breast Cancer Awareness month, Orlando native, breast cancer survivor and advocate Alex Whitaker Cheadle amps up her messaging.
What You Need To Know
- Alex Whitaker Cheadle was diagnosed with breast cancer at 24
- There was no history of it in her family
- Her story has now become her platform
- Learn more about Alex Whitaker Cheadle
She says her biggest goal this month, and all year round, is to make sure people are turning their awareness into action.
Her story began at age 24, prefaced by an adhesive bra, and something on her breast that didn’t feel quite right.
“I thought there’s no way that this is going to be anything. You know, 24…no family history," said Whitaker Cheadle.
That thought kept playing in her head as she sought a diagnosis, but she developed a sneaking suspicion that something was off.
“Once I kind of saw the looks on people’s faces, the nurse’s faces, and things like that, I kind of was like 'Oh man, maybe there is something wrong with me.' But I NEVER thought it was going to be cancer," she said.
Then came the phone call.
She was diagnosed with stage one invasive ductal carcinoma. Before she knew it, her doctor was discussing chemotherapy.
“The first thing I said to him was ‘So am I gonna lose my hair.’ And he said ‘Well, probably.’ And that’s the first time I let myself cry, really," Whitaker Cheadle said. "That sounds so silly and vain, but I don’t know…I think everyone has the one thing that triggers them and to me that was like the one thing that really made it sink in.”
With no family history nor genetic predispositions, she found herself in an unusual, and challenging situation.
“I had just gotten engaged. I really want to be a mom one day," she said. "And so that was my number one question is what are we going to do with fertility preservation?”
One round at a time, she got closer to those answers, and to winning her battle.
With her strength, plus the support of her family, friends and Breast Cancer Community she reached the day when she got to ring the big "I beat cancer" bell.
Today, her story is her platform.
Her biggest message for Breast Cancer Awareness Month is to flip the script, to also consider it Breast Cancer Action Month.
“I do think awareness is important in terms of my story. It can happen to you at any age. Do your self exams. It doesn’t matter if you have family history or not," she said. "But when it comes to action, things that we really need to be focusing on are making sure that these companies that say they’re supporting breast cancer really are. And that means research.”
Whitaker Cheadle was treated at Advent Health in Orlando. She currently lives in Kansas City, and continues her advocacy work there.