North Texas breast cancer survivor prepares for "Drummathon" fundraiser to help support others fight the disease

As the end of Breast Cancer Awareness Month approaches, a survivor who's made it her mission to help beat the disease, with an emphasis on the word "beat," shares her story.

April Samuels has been drumming for most of her life.

"When I was five years old, my brother was at a music lesson at a music store, and my mom and I were waiting around, and I started looking around, and I found a pair of drumsticks," said Samuels.

And her love of percussion was born.

Primarily a rock drummer, Samuels played with a variety of different bands over the years, but in 2010, her life took an unexpected turn when she received a phone call from her doctor.

"It was like the world stopped, you know," Samuels said. "He said, 'You have what's called Triple-negative Breast Cancer.' And then everything else was just like Charlie Brown's teacher, 'Wah Wa Wahn.' Honestly, I thought I was going to die, and I thought I was going to die soon."

According to the National Cancer Institute:

• Triple-negative Breast Cancer, or TNBC, accounts for about 10 to 15 percent of all breast cancers
• Patients, like Samuels, are often diagnosed at a younger age
• It's a fast-growing cancer, and it usually isn't diagnosed until the cancer has advanced

But fortunately for Samuels, her cancer was caught early.

She underwent a double mastectomy followed by chemotherapy, and seven months after her diagnosis, she was declared cancer-free. 

Her feelings of elation, though, were tempered by a need to help others facing the same fight. That's when she created the organization, Breast Cancer Can Stick It.

"It was like a voice I heard that said, 'If you have breast cancer, you're going to be the biggest advocate in the fight against breast cancer that you can be,'" said Samuels.

The organization primarily raises money for the Baylor Scott and White Charles A. Sammons Cancer Center in Dallas. It also supports Parkland Hospital by helping pay for mammograms for people who are uninsured or underinsured and by helping cover the cost of treatment.

Now, Samuels is getting ready for Sunday, Oct. 25, the organization's biggest event of the year: Drummathon.

"What we do is we have online fundraising, just like a walk would be. And people can raise funds, and the top 25 fundraisers who raise over $250 get to perform a 1-minute drum solo at Drummathon," Samuels explained. "And throughout the entire event, we have opportunities to get up on a second drum set with celebrity drummers."

Those celebrity drummers have performed with such artists as Rascal Flatts, Reba McEntire, Jason Aldean, Skillet and Slaughter.

The Dallas Mavericks Drumline will also make an appearance.

But for Samuels, Drummathon is about much more than the music. She said the event brings an emotional level of support that's hard to put into words.

"It's really difficult to describe how meaningful the event is until you've been to one. Almost everybody I have talked to that is a breast cancer survivor ... the first time they go, they are so overwhelmed that they end up crying. Because it's such a cool and emotional event of support," said Samuels.

She said sharing her story is one of the most important parts of the fight.

"Being able to instill hope in people and being able to say that I'm 16 years cancer-free, and let people know that they can live through a cancer diagnosis is super important to me," said Samuels.

For Samuels, the drums have always been a way to make herself heard. Now she's using that voice to give others hope – one beat at a time.

Drummathon 2026 kicks off on Sunday at noon and lasts until 7 p.m. It's being held at The Sound at Cypress Waters in Dallas. The event is free and open to the whole family.

Chris Wymore contributed to this story.