By Chanda Temple
Every day, Alease Sims walks past a pink wreath that once belonged to her daughter, Stacey Sims Turner.
A sign on it reads: “I stood strong. I fought hard. I won.”
Stacey was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2016. As Stacey fought the disease, Alease knew her pain because Alease had fought the same disease in 1989. Alease comforted Stacey through a mastectomy, chemo, radiation and six-month checkups.
Doctors eventually told Stacey she was cancer-free. But in 2021, the cancer had returned and spread to Stacey’s lungs and brain. Again, Alease was by Stacey’s side, telling her, “We are going to fight this.”
They found a trial at a research center in Nashville, where they traveled back and forth to Birmingham for a year. Stacey improved, enjoying time with family and eating the jalapeño-flavored popcorn from Birmingham’s Naughty But Nice Kettle Corn Co. because its spice kicked through to her tastebuds during treatment. Alease joined in on the popcorn fun, opting for the sweeter/savory flavor.
But by early 2023, things had changed for Stacey. She had grown weaker in her fight against breast cancer, but she still managed to order school clothes and birthday presents for her son and daughter. Stacey stored them in a hallway closet, and told Alease she wanted her to give them to the children, letting the children know they were from their mama.
On Feb. 10, 2023, Stacey had a frank conversation with Alease.
Stacey: “Let me tell you something.”
Alease: “What?”
Stacey: “You’ve got to let me go. I’m tired.”
Alease: “Oh, baby.”
Stacey: “You kiss me on me. You pray with me, and I don’t say anything. But you’ve got to let me go. You’ve got to let me go. God’s got me, and He’s got you, too. Promise me you are not going to just be here in the house and not go any place.”
It took Alease a minute to process what Stacey was actually saying, first thinking Stacey was just talking about physically letting her go because she had been holding her.
“After I put her back in the bed, I later realized what she was saying, that it was time to let her go,” Alease said.
Stacey passed on Sunday, Feb. 12, 2023.
“She was such a special person and the way people responded, they saw the light in her also,” Alease said.
That light still shines in the wreath on the door, where Alease is reminded of what she used to tell Stacey as a little girl: “Shoulders up. Head up.”
Alease carries that message with her in every step she makes today. She knows Stacey would want it that way.
“I hold my head up, and when I open that door, I know I’m going to face the world,” she said. “I’m a survivor.”
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 their 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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