The show starts with a discussion of how Christy Adams and Pam Goodwin became friends a year ago on a Christian Facebook group of women going through breast cancer. Christy and Pam both are breast cancer survivors and they both have a story to tell. They discussed a few things on the talk show about breast cancer such as how they were diagnosed with it, what changes they experienced after being cured from cancer, and what’s their mission in life now.
Pam Goodwin lives in Texas and she is a Stage 1-Triple-Positive breast cancer survivor. She is also a commercial real estate broker and host of the show The Pam Goodwin Show where she interviews the biggest names to inspire people. Pam was diagnosed with cancer with her 3d mammogram, which a 2d mammogram would not have picked up. And that’s why she is on a mission to recommend annual 3d mammograms to every woman.
Christy Adams is a breast cancer survivor (Stage 3-Triple-Negative). She grew up in Southern West Virginia and came to Tennessee in January 2018. Christy started working at a furniture store that opened in 2018 at Dollywood, and she sold farmhouse furniture there and made many friends from different states. She also met Dolly Parton and shared her experience with the audience on Pam’s talk show – The Pam Goodwin Show. But after being cured of cancer, her life has changed completely. She is on a mission to help breast cancer patients in every possible way now (with the help of her book — Cancer, God, and Me — and breast cancer foundation — Close To My Heart).
Christy says that she has been regular with her annual mammograms, and the reports never picked anything mysterious before. Until August 2018, she felt an urge to itch on her chest and found a jelly bean-sized lump on her chest. She panicked.
When she saw her gynecologist, the doctor told her that it was a fluid-filled cyst. Her mammogram showed the same, and she didn’t bother about it until one day, she found that the lump had grown to the size of a golf ball.
She saw the doctor again, and even after a suggested ultrasound, the reports didn’t pick anything new. It showed a fluid-filled cyst once again. Then, the doctor advised her to get the cyst discharge by visiting them frequently. As the doctor discharges the cyst, it becomes harmless. The process went over a year, and Christy got it discharged six times in that duration, and the last discharge weighed 140 ccs of fluid.
Then, another doctor suggested seeing a surgeon. And when the surgeon examined her and took off the fluid-filled cyst, there was cancer behind it. It was hiding behind the chest wall, and Christy says that her body kept telling her that I need your attention.
Christy: My body was saying hey listen pay attention, you know, pay attention to what’s going on. I’m little now, okay. I’m gonna grow and get your attention, okay, I’m gonna grow and get your attention. And finally, you know that’s how I found it.
What Inspired Christy to write her Book — Cancer, God, and Me?
Pam: I have read the entire book and I couldn’t put it down. But I would love for you to, you know, tell the audience what made you write this book.
Christy says that she was sitting in her car in a parking lot once, and she had a desire to share her cancer experience with someone. And when she couldn’t find anybody to share it with, she recorded herself on the phone without any goal in mind.
Later on, she created a Facebook group, started posting those videos there, and built a community. She named the group ‘Cancer, God, and Me’ and when the idea turned into a book, she named it the same.
Where to find Christy’s Book?
It’s available on Amazon. You can find it here.
How Christy Started Her Foundation ‘Close to my Heart’ Christy also says that when she had cancer, she wanted to help others like her. And then she promised to God that once she gets well, she will work on it. And that’s how her foundation — Close to My Heart — began.
Her foundation delivers care packages to breast cancer patients as not everyone else has access to resources and caregivers as she had. The package includes a mask, a sanitizer, a mastectomy shirt if needed, a mastectomy pillow, a lanyard to hold the drain tubes after surgery, a chemo cap, a blanket, a necklace, a journal, a pen, and all such little stuff that a cancer survivor often needs. And the best part is that the patient can get it for free without even telling what stage or kind of cancer the receiver has.
Christy is on a mission and says that she has helped 71 women since October 2020 and her goal is to help a million women. The foundation only offers shipping in the US for now, but Christy wants to take the initiative worldwide in the future.
She wants her foundation to become as big as the Susan G Komen foundation.
She wants to help women with everything from finances like mortgages, rent, gas, or Uber to send meals or DoorDash to women who can’t cook for themselves. She understands that nobody can have a caregiver on their side as she had – her son.
After five years, she would love to have a branch of her foundation that only focuses on caregivers. Christy believes that caregivers are the real heroes who look after the cancer patient, but they never got the attention, and she wants to do something for them.
Where to Donate to Christy’s Foundation?
‘Close to my Heart’ foundation accepts both monetary and item donations. If you want to make donations, you can visit closetomyheartfoundation.weebly.com or visit the ‘Close To My Heart Breast Cancer Foundation’ Facebook group to find other modes like PayPal Venmo, Cash App, or Cheque, or Money order.