Arkansas Cancer Survivors Share How Early Detection Saved Lives

Teresa Davis didn't miss a single day of work during her radiation treatment for breast cancer. Thanks to advances in mammogram technology funded by the American Cancer Society, doctors caught her cancer so early that she could complete her radiation sessions before 7:15 each morning and head straight to her job.

Davis shared her story at a community meeting this week for Relay for Life of Southwest Arkansas, happening June 13 at the Hot Springs YMCA. She had one simple message for the crowd: "What the American Cancer Society has done, it worked."

Penny Porter, a partner with Relay for Life who survived both breast and thyroid cancer, explained exactly how the fundraising dollars are making a difference. The organization has provided 276 nights of free lodging through partnerships with Extended Stay America, giving patients and their families a place to stay near treatment centers without crushing expenses.

"Each of those nights represents more than just a room," Porter told the group. "They represent comfort, dignity and peace of mind during one of the most difficult times of a person's life."

The program has also funded 211 Road to Recovery rides, transporting patients to and from life-saving treatments when they had no other way to get there. For many Arkansas patients facing cancer, transportation and lodging are silent barriers that can literally mean the difference between getting treatment and going without.

Porter's own mother used these lodging services in Buffalo, New York, allowing Porter to care for her throughout her cancer journey. When Porter needed support for her thyroid cancer, she used the ACS CARES app to find support groups and dietary guidance for managing her condition.

Why This Inspires

Davis is living proof that when communities rally together to fund cancer research and support programs, real people live to tell about it. She caught her cancer early, received treatment quickly, and is now cancer free.

Her passion now is getting people re-engaged with Relay for Life after many stepped back during COVID. "If we can catch it, it's treatable," she said, urging her community to remember that the American Cancer Society helps patients access screenings even when insurance companies say no.

The Relay for Life movement started in 1985 when one man walked for 24 hours straight to raise money for cancer research. Today, over 5,000 events happen worldwide each year, and survivors like Davis and Porter are standing up to show their communities exactly what those fundraising dollars accomplish.

Davis put it simply: "I'm one of those people that the Relay saved."