Articles by Josh Lange

Published November 7, 2024

October in Mishawaka is known for Halloween, the changing colors of the leaves, chilly football games, and erratic weather. For me, however, October has another special meaning, Breast Cancer Awareness Month. According to the American Cancer Society, 30% of all cases of cancer in women are breast cancer. This disease is all too common in our country, and I have personally witnessed many with breast cancer.

My family has had countless cases of breast cancer throughout the years. My grandma Linda is currently fighting the disease, and recently she told me that while normally she is a private person, she feels that her story should be told to spread awareness and build courage in others afflicted with this disease. To honor this request, I felt it would be appropriate to share her experiences through The Mishawaka Enterprise.

My grandma Linda was born to Jack Biggs of Mishawaka and Betty McCulley of South Bend. Grandma Linda graduated from Adams High School and has lived in the area for majority of her life. She graduated from Bethel College and retired from Notre Dame. Her mother passed away from cancer at only 45, and her father died from cancer at age 62. Due to the family history of cancer, she had mentally prepared herself years in advance that she would probably have some form of cancer. Despite being the oldest, her sisters Sandy and Mary Catherine both had fought breast cancer before her diagnosis. Thankfully, both of them were able to beat it and became breast cancer survivors.

Because of the high risk of breast cancer, Grandma Linda has gotten mammograms for years to catch it early if she were to ever get it. A couple years back, the doctors discovered a lump in her breast, and a biopsy determined that it was in fact cancer. They caught it early, thankfully, and she had it removed. She went into remission and became a breast cancer survivor. This year, the doctors discovered another lump in her breast, and this time it was rapidly growing. Due to my grandma’s other health conditions, they determined that radiation treatment and surgery were out of the question and put her on chemo. The first round using the type of chemo that the insurance would pay for did nothing, and the cancer grew and spread. After the doctors proved to the insurance providers that it was not working, the insurance finally approved a different type of chemo that has started to slow the spread of the cancer and has started shrinking the main tumor.

2024 has been a tough year for the entire family. Cancer like many other debilitating diseases, has impacts not just on the person fighting the battle, but their family and friends, too. Grandma Linda has gone to the hospital over a dozen times in the past eight months, and that is not counting her chemo treatments and other doctor appointments. She has dealt with so much hardship that it amazes me how positive she stays every day.

My grandma is the strongest woman that I know, and she has always inspired me. When I was little, I struggled with writing, and she taught me techniques to improve, as she had self-published a book. She is one of the main reasons I love writing today. She has also been a strong motivator for my college studies because she spent 10 years going to college part-time while working full-time. Never giving up the fight is what she always says and what she always does, no matter how much the odds are stacked against her.

Even with all her medical conditions and breast cancer, Grandma Linda has not lost hope and believes she can win the battle. This mentality has kept up mine and the rest of the family’s hopes as well. I hope grandma’s story can inspire hope in others because I am confident that when it is all said and done, she will be a breast cancer survivor once more. Breast cancer is a horrible disease, but with people getting yearly checkups, knowing the signs early, and with more advanced treatments being developed, one day in the future it will be eradicated.

Photo of my Grandma Linda and me (October 2024)