Louisiana Woman, 34, Faces Terminal Cancer, Urges Early Detection
Whitney Brooks, diagnosed at 27, shares her story from hospice, regretting not seeking care sooner for a lump she initially dismissed.
A 34-year-old Louisiana woman diagnosed with terminal breast cancer is sharing her story from hospice care, expressing deep regret over dismissing an early lump as a minor issue. Whitney Brooks was 27 when she was first diagnosed with Stage 3 breast cancer. The disease has since progressed to Stage 4 and spread throughout her body.
Brooks was moved to hospice care in July after becoming unable to walk, use the restroom, or feed herself without assistance. She was given a 90-day prognosis and is now using her remaining time to advocate for early detection. She shared her journey with WAFB, emphasizing that cancer does not discriminate by age.
"Cancer really doesn’t have an age. It doesn’t have a number," Brooks stated.
She recalled first noticing a lump in her breast at age 25 while in the shower. At the time, she dismissed it, thinking, "Oh, that’s a boil. It’ll go away." Fear, she admitted, played a significant role in her reluctance to seek medical attention.
Her now-wife, Dana Foreman, eventually encouraged her to get the lump checked at Woman’s Hospital, where she received the diagnosis that the tumor was malignant. Brooks urges other women not to let fear prevent them from seeking medical advice.
"Please, don’t wait," she implored. "Don’t let fear sink in, because that’s what I did. I allowed fear to sink in and stop me."
Brooks expressed the daily struggle of facing her prognosis, admitting to fears of not waking up. "I think that’s one of the main reasons I don’t go to sleep," she said. "I just think: 'What if I don’t get up? What if this is my last breath?'" She acknowledges moments of wanting to give up but forces herself to keep fighting.
As she spends her final days, Brooks is focused on cherishing the time she has left and hopes to embark on one last vacation.
Breast cancer is the most common cancer among American women, with one in eight women diagnosed in their lifetime, according to the National Breast Cancer Foundation. The organization recommends that women perform breast self-exams at least once a month. Johns Hopkins University Distinguished Service Professor of Breast Cancer Lillie D Shockney noted that "Forty per cent of diagnosed breast cancers are detected by women who feel a lump, so establishing a regular breast self-exam is very important."