NCCC (Tyler) Texas Chapter

My goddaughter Bryana Gordon ‘Bree’ was diagnosed with stage 3 cervical cancer in 2016 at 23 years old. Bree passed away shortly after in 2017. My passion and mission is to spread awareness about cervical cancer prevention. Bree was a twin to Kiyana, she was a daughter to Ryan, and she had a beautiful, thriving life. It is my duty to keep her memory alive by sharing her story through cancer awareness and advocacy.

The goal of the Tyler chapter is provide information, resources, and love to the East Texas community.

Bree’s Story

Bree started having unbearable back pain. This lead to several ER visits with misdiagnoses from ER to ER, until finally one day her dad (Ryan Gordon) decided that he was not going to leave the hospital without them telling him what was wrong with his baby girl. That due diligence lead to a biopsy that revealed the real ugly truth. On that day, Ryan took an eight-month leave of absence to become his daughter’s caregiver. His story as a loving father could be a show within itself!

The initial treatment of radiation and chemotherapy was successful in treating the cervical cancer. However, subsequent scans showed the cancer had spread to Bree’s stomach. She was now in her second round of chemo to treat the spot on her stomach.

Fast forward to Oct 12, 2016…this is the day that Bree shared a live chat of her removing her ‘CROWN’—her hair—which had fallen out due to the extensive chemo treatments. You can only imagine how hard this would be for anyone, but just think about someone who not only loves her hair but does hair to make others feel beautiful. Her video went viral (over 2.4 million views) and she inspired so many people around the world by sharing her story. There is so much more to her young life story that is worth hearing and sharing!

On March 2, 2017, at 9:48am, God brought Bree home to be with Him.

On behalf of the Gordon family, Lacy and I would like to thank all the people who have supported and prayed for Bryana and my family. I know a lot of people will be sad, but when you have been down this long 11-month journey filled with chemotherapy, radiation, long nights, early mornings, the throwing up, the not being able to eat…I couldn’t help but to REJOICE that she NO LONGER has to suffer or be inconvenienced by her ILLNESS.

Shouts out to my baby. SHE DIDN’T LET CANCER RUN HER. SHE USED IT TO SAVE SOULS AND INSPIRE MILLIONS.

I prayed along time ago that my baby, IF she didn’t make it, would pass in my arms. She specifically called for me to come to her bed and while Kiyana and I held her, minutes later she went to be with the Lord.

THANK YOU LORD…I know the pain she experienced on earth won’t compare to the GLORY she has TODAY!

#TeamBree

Chapter Liaison Shaudra Hall

After being diagnosed with cervical cancer at 28, my life took an unexpected but an amazing turn. What was once heartache has turned into something fulfilling and purposeful. I am a 25+ year survivor. I’ve met so many women and men affected by HPV-related cancers, just like cervical cancer, many of whom have shared their stories with me when they haven’t been able to share them with anyone else. I’ve had friends and family tell me that they’ve ensured their loved ones received the HPV vaccination series because they did not want to create an opportunity for cancer, seeing what my husband and I went through years ago during my diagnosis and treatment.

My mission is to support, educate and promote cervical cancer prevention and HPV prevention and detection by learning about the latest scientific developments regarding HPV-related diseases and more recently about advancements in cervical cancer clinical research. My career in clinical research administration propels me to advocate for greater access to gynecologic clinical trials and fast track trials for women with advanced disease. There are so many misconceptions about clinical research which also creates missed opportunities for access to cutting edge therapies that may provide life extending or greater quality of life benefits for the participant. If you are seeking a clinical research trial, discuss what clinical research trials are appropriate for you with your healthcare provider, and you can also see what clinical trials are recruiting in your area by going to clinicaltrials.gov.