By Chanda Temple
The way Sheila Williams sees it, breast cancer saved her life.
Back in 2013, she was a 47 year old with bad eating habits and a tendency to grab the easiest meals while on the run.
Everything fried was her life.
But when her doctor encouraged her to swap out greasy foods for whole foods, she listened.
“I like to eat, but my first day of chemo, I couldn’t taste nothing. The only thing that kept me was salad,” she said.
Determined to make her new bowls of greenery interesting, she got creative. She added pickles and pineapples, yes, at the same time, to enrich the taste and color of her servings of spinach, extra onions and grilled chicken. The topped it off with a side of Ranch dressing.
“Now, I eat salads four times a week,’’ she said.
What also changed was the way she interacted with people. She used to keep her head down, and she never wanted to draw attention. But following a cancer retreat, a nurse encouraged Sheila to attend a hospital Christmas event and motivate the survivors and their families. Sheila told a few jokes, and Voila! Laughter spread across the room. So did hope.
“There was a doctor who told me that he was about to start his chemo and radiation (for prostate cancer), but he didn’t feel like he would make it. But he said, ‘After hearing you, I feel like I have hope,’ ‘’ Sheila, now 59, recalled.
A year later, Sheila started doing standup comedy for events, in addition to being a minister and working at a bank. Her stage name is Comedienne FreeU to “free you” from obstacles and barriers.
“For me to touch a doctor’s heart with comedy that day, I just know that God had more for me to do,’’ said Sheila, who was Stage 1 in 2013 and underwent two surgeries, four months of chemotherapy and eight months of radiation at a Birmingham hospital. “I’m learning how to embrace what God put in me.’’
“I had to take lemon and make lemonade.”
On Sunday, Oct. 19, she will make an appearance at Stardome Comedy Club in Hoover, AL at 6:30 p.m. as part of the Bennie Mac and Friends Show. Doors open at 5:15 p.m. Tickets are $30.50.
***NOTE: In America, one in eight women will be diagnosed with invasive breast cancer during their lifetime. In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, I will be profiling one female breast cancer survivor each day in October 2025. The stories will also highlight a food from a Birmingham, AL restaurant or food vendor they liked at some point during their breast cancer journey or today. The series is called “SurviveHer at the Table: Food. Faith. Fight.”
Each story posted this month is the opinion of the survivor, with a goal to increase awareness about early detection and treatment for breast cancer. Readers should consult with their physician for medical and health advice and a nutritionist for healthy eating tips. Links to area resources will be shared in future posts this month.
Chanda Temple is an award-winning writer living in Birmingham, Ala. She blogs at http://www.chandatemplewrites.com. If you have a food story idea, email her at chandatemple@gmail.com. Follow her on Instagram at @chandatemple.
Copyright © 2025, All rights reserved.
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