BEAUMONT, Texas — A Beaumont woman who survived breast cancer is telling her story, hoping to encourage those currently battling the disease to never lose hope.
Ramona Chretien wants to celebrate being 10 years breast cancer free. Chretien kept her bright energy and her faith while undergoing nine months of cancer treatments and numerous hospital visits.
"I was a little nervous about it in the beginning, and of course, I had the questions why me, but I felt like, why not me," Chretien said. “It never took away my joy. Because I asked God if He would bring me through this, I would let others know just how good he is in our lives.”
The survivor said her faith and family are what got her through those tough times. Chretien began collecting crosses to build a cross wall in her home. Now, people give her crosses to add to it.
“The Serenity Prayer, that one I have to read all the time,” Chretien said. “God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference. I have to read that one a lot.”
Chretien encourages those currently battling breast cancer to look beyond the diagnosis.
“Don't look at it as something deadly. Look at it as a journey, that this too shall pass,” she said.
The survivor also highly encourages regular checkups saying early detection is key to beating breast cancer.
“Just making that extra step means a whole lot, not just to you, but also to your family, to your husband, to your friends, to people that truly love you,” the survivor said.