Fort Worth runner will celebrate beating breast cancer at the Cowtown Marathon
FORT WORTH, Texas (CBSNewsTexas.com) – The Cowtown Marathon is just days away and this year, a Fort Worth woman is planning to cross the finish line to celebrate beating cancer.
Competitive running is something Kay Harris has always loved. Over the years, she's built up quite an impressive number of medals. However, in 2020 the teacher, wife and mom of two had to put competing on hold.
"I was diagnosed with Stage 3 breast cancer very out of the blue," Harris said. "I was not even 40 yet so I found it myself. We are a very healthy family. We have not ever been through this with parents before, with my parents, and so we were blindsided, devastated, and scared."
A close friend, who also is a breast surgeon at Baylor Scott & White All Saints Medical Center – Fort Worth, made everything easier.
"As soon as she had abnormal imagining she gave me a call and said hey I have abnormal imaging what happens now?" Dr. Vaishali Kent said.
"Of course I trusted her and she just made us feel so comfortable and she took us by the hands and I told everybody she drove our train," Harris said.
Dr. Kent gave Harris a care plan and after six rounds of chemo, 28 rounds of radiation and a double mastectomy, Harris is now cancer free.
"I'm just thankful to God and my family and my children who were there by my side the whole time," Harris said. "Prayer, family, friends and having just an incredible medical team."
"I am so proud of how strong she was throughout this whole process," Dr. Kent said. "I'm so happy that she is able to have her life back."
Harris is now lacing up her sneakers, pounding the pavement. She's getting ready to run a half marathon in this weekend's Cowtown Marathon.
"When I cross the finish line, I just know it's going to make me feel like cancer did not get the best of me," she said. "If there's somebody out there watching this that has maybe just been diagnosed or is going through the trenches of fighting cancer.. there's another side and you'll get back to it and you'll get back your life."
She's living proof.