Archive of ‘Inspiration’ category

A Birmingham breast cancer patient shares her story over a missed mammogram and her promise of hope

By Chanda Temple

When Monique Martin’s father died in May 2024, she was engulfed in grief. And as a result, the lymph nodes under her arms and in her neck, began to swell.

She thought stress had brought on the brief swelling. So, she ignored it.

Then, in August 2024, the swelling returned and it gradually got worse. In October 2024, she felt a lump in her left breast. Officials scheduled her for a mammogram in November 2024.

“I got the mammogram, went on the patient portal and read the results before they even called me,” she said. It said, “Indicative of breast cancer.” She wasn’t totally surprised because her mother is a breast cancer survivor. But she was scared.

“I was kind of kicking myself because I was like, ‘Maybe if I had gotten on this when I first noticed my lymph nodes were swollen, the prognosis would have been a little bit better,’ ” she said.

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The one pizza from Newk’s that helped Marshelle Harris taste life again

By Chanda Temple

During her chemo treatments for breast cancer, many things tasted like air to Marshelle Harris. 

Everything, that is, except for Newk’s Margherita Pizza when she swapped out its red pizza sauce for the Newk’s white barbecue sauce. She also asked that a little cilantro be added to the pizza’s existing offerings of grape tomatoes, mozzarella cheese and basil. 

Marshell Harris has a special request whenever she orders the Margherita pizza from Newk's. She replaces the red sauce with the eatery's white barbecue sauce. The taste is amazing! (Photo by Chanda Temple)
Marshell Harris’ s special twist to the Margherita pizza from Newk’s involves trading the red sauce for the eatery’s white barbecue sauce. The taste is transformative! (Photo by Chanda Temple)

The combo was a game changer, as the white BBQ sauce burst through with the most robust flavors on the warm, soft pizza slices.  

“I always tell people about it, and when they get it, they say, ‘Girl, you were not lying! ‘ ” she said. 

Breast cancer coach and advocate Marshelle Harris said that it's OK to get a second or third opinion after getting a diagnosis, and to connect with people who've walked this road before because there's so much to learn and know.(Photo provided by Marshalle Harris)
Breast cancer coach and advocate Marshelle Harris encourages breast cancer patients to get a second or third opinion after getting a diagnosis. She also suggests that patients connect with people who’ve walked this road before because there’s so much to learn and know. (Photo provided by Marshalle Harris)

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Eva Johnson doesn’t let breast cancer hold her back

By Chanda Temple

What a week Eva Johnson has had.

On Tuesday, the City of Birmingham presented her with a proclamation for the work she’s been doing in the community to help breast cancer survivors. Then, Mayor Randall Woodfin personally congratulated her.

On Thursday, 10 years after being declared cancer-free, she finally got the chance to ring the bell like other cancer survivors.

And this morning, she led her annual breast cancer walk, the Eva B. Johnson Warrior Walk, in East Lake Park to help raise money for breast cancer research and to support area organizations that help women facing breast cancer. With 75 attendees, including some she didn’t even know, the walk had the biggest crowd she’s ever had in the five years she’s been hosting it.

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Doniell Milliner faced breast cancer with a comb, a camera and unshakeable faith

By Chanda Temple

The comb went through Doniell Milliner’s hair, like knife through butter, seemingly slicing strands at every stroke.

But Doniell wasn’t sad as she showed the large ball of hair to her Facebook followers. In fact, she smiled in what she saw as a moment of victory.

“That means that healing is taking plaaaccccceee!” she said in a sing-songy voice. “Amen.”

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Why a simple meal can mean everything during breast cancer treatments

By Chanda Temple

It was Deidra Sanderson’s first day of chemotherapy, and things were super busy. 

She wanted to try to save her hair from falling out during chemotherapy, so she opted to do something known as “cold capping,” which required her brother, who was by her side, to put a cap on her head to keep her scalp below freezing. Since he had to change the cap every 15 minutes, he was unable to take a break to even get them something to eat.

Then, Deidra received a text message that felt as though it was heaven sent. Becky Holt, a friend and fellow Junior League of Birmingham member, asked Deidra if she could bring her anything. Lunch? Coffee? Magazines?

Deidra said she’d like lunch, if it wasn’t too much trouble.  

Deidre Sanderson was diagnosed with breast cancer in October 2017, and she started chemotherapy in February 2018. She later had a lumpectomy and then radiation. She completed her radiation treatments in August 2018. (Photo provided by Deidre Sanderson)
Deidra Sanderson was diagnosed with breast cancer in October 2017, and she started chemotherapy in February 2018. She later had a lumpectomy and then radiation. She completed her radiation treatments in August 2018. (Photo provided by Deidre Sanderson)

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Melons and Miracles: How Judge Patricia Stephens found comfort during chemotherapy

By Chanda Temple

Every third Wednesday for four months, Jefferson County Divorce Court Judge Patrica Stephens had chemotherapy before undergoing a lumpectomy in March 2020.

The treatments left her nauseous, and she didn’t feel like eating.

“During that first week and a half, you don’t feel good,’’ she said. “You are queasy, and you feel like you are walking around in a dark cloud.’’

But she found solace in watermelons, honeydew melons, cantaloupe and the Galia melon, which is a hybrid of the honeydew and cantaloupe. They were lightweight and stayed on her stomach.

The chill of the melons from Publix, took her back to her childhood and away from the reality of cancer. And for that one moment at the dinner table, a bowl full of glistening green or orange melons was the only thing that mattered. 

Jefferson County Judge Patricia Stephens was diagnosed with breast cancer in August 2019. She had chemotherapy from October 2019 to February 2020. She had a lumpectomy in March 2020. Today, she is a cancer-free. (Photo provided by Patricia Stephens)
Jefferson County Judge Patricia Stephens was diagnosed with breast cancer in August 2019. She had chemotherapy from October 2019 to February 2020. And she had a lumpectomy in March 2020. Today, she is a cancer-free. (Photo provided by Patricia Stephens)

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Brenda Hong turned her cancer battle into a lifeline for Birmingham survivors

By Chanda Temple

The first time Brenda Hong was told she had breast cancer, she was fired up, feeling like she could beat it. And she did.

But three years later in 1994, the cancer returned and it was hard to ignite that fire again.

“All that energy and faith I had were gone because you weren’t the victor you thought you were. That makes you depressed,” she said. “But somehow, because of my faith, I was able to come out of that dark hole. But I had bloody fingers because I dug my way out.”

“It wasn’t easy.”

Brenda Hong had a lumpectomy in 1991. Cancer returned in 1994, and she had a mastectomy. (Photo provided by Brenda Hong.)
Brenda Hong fought breast cancer twice. “The first time, I had a lumpectomy and that was my decision. That was because I didn’t want to have my breast removed,” she said. “But the second time around, you’re like, ‘Screw that. Take (my breast). I don’t really need it. … So, have at it.’ ” (Photo provided by Brenda Hong.)

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How one Birmingham breast cancer survivor reclaimed her taste and joy after chemo

*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 vendor they liked at some point during their breast cancer journey or today. The series is called “SurviveHer at the Table: Food. Faith. Fight.” The stories can be found on this blog under the tag SurviveHer in the search bar.

By Chanda Temple

Cancer treatments not only robbed Marie Sutton of her right breast and hair in 2018, they also robbed her of the ability to taste.

Some of her favorite flavors were now distant memories.

She could only admire the garlic butter brushed across the thick crust on her favorite spicy pizza.  

Her mother’s macaroni and cheese was pretty on a plate but foreign to her palate.

And the crunch of fried catfish was all she could appreciate because the filets simply tasted like sand.

Marie Sutton (Photo provided by Marie Sutton) Marie Sutton (Photo provided by Marie Sutton)
Marie Sutton is cancer-free after being diagnosed with cancer in January 2018, undergoing a mastectomy in September 2018 and having more than 30 lymph nodes removed. (Photo provided by Marie Sutton)

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How a bowl of snow cream and 32 million views sparked Jimmy Proffitt’s cookbook deal

By Chanda Temple

Can we talk about the power of manifestation for a minute?

About six or seven years ago, Jimmy Proffitt told himself he was going to write a book. He didn’t know when. He didn’t know how. He didn’t even know the topic. But he knew he was going to write one.

Then, he wrote it down and said it out loud. (Which are all ways to stay true to manifesting, which is believing you can do something, staying focused on it, remaining positive on it and working on it until it becomes reality.)

It took Jimmy Proffitt of East Tennessee only six months to write his first cookbook, "Seasoned in Appalachia,'' because he had been preparing for years as he manifested that he would write a cookbook one day. He already had the recipes and stories when two publishers contacted him in 2024. (Photo by Chanda Temple)
It took Jimmy Proffitt of East Tennessee only six months to write his first cookbook, “Seasoned in Appalachia,” because he had been preparing for years as he manifested that he would write a cookbook one day. He already had the recipes and stories when two publishers contacted him in 2024. (Photo by Chanda Temple)

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Birmingham’s Cutie Chutes Serves Up Faith, Flavor and Fresh Ideas

By Chanda Temple 

One week before Willie Williams was to host an event at his art studio in North Birmingham, his catering fell through.  

Unable to contact another caterer, he wondered what he was going to do. He found his answer after tasting the sandwiches Lauree Blair of Cutie Chutes had prepared for a Yelp Elite event that was being held at Willie’s Studio 2500 just days before his own event. 

“Divine timing kind of hooked us up,” Willie said as he talked about Lauree. “You’d think she’d have just regular sandwiches. But she took it a step further and made them unique.”

Think gourmet sandwiches made withmaple Dijonaise, maple glazed ham and Swiss cheese, warmed inside croissant bread that’s encrusted with honey on a griddle. There was also a pretzel bun filled with Lauree’s homemade Buffalo chive spread, Blazin’ Buffalo chicken, butter lettuce, Vermont white cheddar, marinated tomatoes and hickory bacon. 

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