A celebration of strength and cancer survival

Meet the Veterans who shared their stories of healing and strength at a Houston VA Breast Cancer Survivor Celebration.

Kathy Mackie is a survivor. The Army Veteran, who was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2022, says she dug deep inside for the strength to battle through cancer treatment and has come out on the other side.  

At 47, Luz Cervantes is also no stranger to a challenge. She is a Navy Veteran, a single mother and a survivor of breast cancer. Mackie and Cervantes both shared their stories of healing and strength at a recent Houston VA Breast Cancer Survivor Celebration.

“I remember the exact moment that Dr. Mahdieh Parizi at VA told me I had breast cancer,” Mackie shared. “She said she couldn’t do her job if she wasn’t confident that there was hope, and she encouraged me to consider my diagnosis a bump in the road. I decided right then and there that I wanted to live and I was going to do whatever it took to get to the other side.”

“They were there for me every step of the way.”

Mackie, who missed a few mammograms during the pandemic, felt a lump in her breast and walked into her VA Women’s Health Center because she felt something wasn’t right. “I found a beautiful energy at VA. Once I was diagnosed, they got me going quickly in treatment and were there for me every step of the way,” she recalled.

Cervantes, who was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2021, said she has changed and grown since her diagnosis. “One important thing I have learned during this breast cancer journey is the power of yes. I make a point to say yes when people ask me to go places and do things. Eat the piece of cake. Buy the pair of shoes. Life is too short to waste it,” she said.

Cervantes has also learned that being by yourself doesn’t mean you are alone. “I came to every appointment and surgery at VA by myself, but I found an amazing community of other Veterans and staff here and I have never felt alone. We can all be there for each other.”

“Our Veterans have incredible strength, perseverance and the will to move forward,” said Dr. Mahdieh Irannejaparizi, breast cancer radiologist. “Their diagnosis, treatment, surgeries and the moments of uncertainty caused by breast cancer are all big battles. I am so proud to see them stand strong against breast cancer just like they did in their military service.”

Special thanks to all the Houston VA staff, community partners and organizations involved in celebrating the Houston VA’s breast cancer survivors this year.