Cancer Survivors Dance, Celebrate at South Carolina Hospital

After more than 20 rounds of chemotherapy and radiation, Franki Stevens had three words to share: "I'm cancer free."

The North Augusta resident celebrated her victory at Aiken Regional Medical Centers' 31st annual Cancer Survivors Day on October 9. Stevens danced to music from a DJ, posed for photos with balloons, and soaked in a day dedicated entirely to celebrating survival.

"I wouldn't be here without God, family and friends," Stevens said. "Their support is really, really, really what you need."

Stevens shared the celebration with fellow breast cancer survivor Sonia Steelman, her former colleague from Aiken High School. The two women posed together in a photo area decorated with patriotic balloons, reunited by their shared journey through treatment.

Steelman, who was diagnosed in 2013, didn't need radiation or chemotherapy after her surgery. "I was totally blessed," she said.

The parking lot celebration drew survivors from across the region. Edgefield County resident Alice Schoultz attended 17 years after her breast cancer diagnosis in 2007.

"This is a celebration of your life and other people's lives," Schoultz said. "Everything I went through, it was long and hard, but I survived."

The hospital provided free meals for survivors and their guests, along with commemorative T-shirts. The event gave medical staff a chance to reconnect with former patients and see how they're thriving beyond treatment.

The Ripple Effect

Events like this create something hospitals can't prescribe: community. When survivors share their stories, newly diagnosed patients see hope reflected in dancing, laughing proof that life continues after cancer.

Brent Slack, the hospital's director of radiation oncology, explained the deeper purpose. "We're here to celebrate our survivors, everybody who has gone through the fight and come out on the other side," he said.

The timing during Breast Cancer Awareness Month added extra meaning. For 31 years, Aiken Regional has created this space for survivors to gather, connecting people who understand the journey in ways others cannot.

Stevens continues immunotherapy treatments, but her recent news keeps getting better. On this October day, surrounded by fellow survivors and the medical team that helped save her life, she chose to celebrate by doing what healthy people do: dancing, laughing, and living fully.