PRENTISS
By Michaela Gibson Morris
Daily Journal
TUPELO – Women can fire up their spirits in the fight against breast cancer tonight.
Breast cancer survivor and physician Dr. Sheri Prentiss will be the featured speaker at Spirit Girls’ Night Out tonight at Tupelo High School’s Performing Arts Center. Doors open at 6 p.m. for the North Mississippi Spirit of Women event. The program, which is free and open to the public, begins at 6:30 p.m.
“She has such a passion for life that’s just infectious,” said Liz Dawson, NMMC Community health director.
Prentiss, a board-certified occupational medicine physician and a spokeswoman for Susan G. Komen Breast Care Foundation, went through a partial mastectomy, 15 rounds of chemotherapy and 33 rounds of radiation to beat breast cancer.
Her battle was tough, but Prentiss said she emerged with a stronger sense of self and faith. She learned to focus on each day instead of how many treatments remained.
“It’s difficult when you’re facing it; you get caught up in the phases of treatment,” Prentiss said. “By not focusing on the treatment, but on the blessing around them … you don’t lose out on living.”
The odds of beating breast cancer are better than they’ve ever been, especially for women diagnosed at early stages.
“There is life and happiness after breast cancer,” Prentiss said.
For information, call (662) 377-4099 or (800) 843-3375.
michaela.morris@journalinc.com