Fighting, surviving, thriving: A cancer warrior's journey with the Dolphins Cancer Challenge
MIAMI - Many Dolphins Cancer Challenge participants take part in honor or in memory of someone they love, but some are cancer fighters themselves.
Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center not only provides treatment and care but also helps prepare patients for the event.
Donna Scott is one of the "Believe in You" participants CBS News Miami sat down with. Like many, her cancer journey began with a phone call five years ago.
"He said to me, 'I need to talk to you.' As soon as I heard that, I knew I had cancer. Basically, life stops at that point when you hear those words. It was a very scary thing to hear," Scott said.
She was diagnosed with grade 0 ductal carcinoma in situ or breast cancer, caught early thanks to routine screenings.
Scott's husband, a critical care physician at Sylvester, knew exactly where she needed to be treated.
"Getting the diagnosis of cancer isn't easy. But knowing Sylvester was there, they helped guide me through the whole process and made it a little bit easier."
Scott underwent a lumpectomy to remove the cancer. Twenty radiation treatments later, she rang the bell. She was cancer-free.
Training for strength, community and a cause
Scott joined Sylvester's Survivorship and Supportive Care Program, which includes "Believe in You," a five-month training program for survivors and their loved ones participating in the Dolphins Cancer Challenge. The program prepares participants to walk, run or ride at the DCC.
"We go every Saturday, and we practice jogging and walking, usually over a mile. Then, they have circuit training for us with balance and strength exercises. It's amazing to be part of that. And we have new people this year, which is amazing. We all encourage each other," Scott said.
This is Scott's second year participating in the DCC. She's doing it for herself and for her mother, who was recently diagnosed with cancer.
"There's nothing like the feeling of being surrounded by people joined together by one common mission," Scott said. "It was incredible. The energy around me, everybody was excited to be there. We all had a goal, whether it was running, walking, or biking. We push each other, and it's incredible. And it's all for the DCC."
Finding peace in the garden
During her treatment and even now, Scott tends to a garden she calls "a tranquil place to come to and escape." Once an escape from a life-changing diagnosis, it has now become her place of peace.
