About the Cover Photographer
Brigette Carruth, the Our Town Cover Photographer, started In Focus Photography in 2003. Her varied work includes corporate head shots, families, and bridal photography. She is an active member of her church, teaching 7th grade Sunday school and playing the flute in the orchestra. In her spare time, she enjoys watching her boys play basketingball.
Brigette's Contact Info
770-617-3805
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On the Cover
Breast Cancer Awareness
October has a new color – PINK! October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, so wear your pinks with pride. On this month’s cover we are so proud to introduce you to five beautiful women; all of them fighters and breast cancer survivors! For these ladies, being told you “fight like a girl” is a compliment.
We give credit to our cover photographer, Brigette Carruth for this idea. Since Brigette is usually behind the camera, she did not expect to be ON the cover, but we wouldn’t have it any other way. Brigette has dealt with her own fight this year. It has been a blessing to us to witness her courage and strength through her trial.
Brigette Carruth and her husband Tim are long time residents of Dallas. They have two sons, Chase, age 17 and Cameron, age 13. Brigette is a freelance photographer, and is also the cover photographer for Our Town magazine. Brigette and her family are members of Roswell Street Baptist. She enjoys watching her sons play ball and traveling to the different stadiums.
I was diagnosed November 18, 2008. My diagnosis came after having my second ever mammogram, and before this I knew nothing or felt nothing. I had two surgeries and many doctor's appointments and tests. I was treated with 6 1/2 weeks of daily radiation and now will have one treatment of Zometa therapy every six months for the next five years, to counteract the Tamoxifen I take daily.
I was diagnosed only one week after my good friend Penny Iorillo. God brought us into each other lives to be an encouragement to each other! She has been a tremendous help and stronghold in the days when I needed someone who understood exactly where I was and how I felt. We are bonded together forever as breast cancer survivors and sisters in Christ! I love you Penny!
My hardest day was the day I told my boys "I have breast cancer". Tim offered to tell them for me but I knew this was something I had to do on my own. God is a very important part of our lives and I prayed very hard that He would give me the strength and courage I needed to say those words without falling apart. He did not disappoint me! I was able to talk to my boys with courage and confidence in my God knowing that whatever happened He was in control. I wanted my children to see my faith, to see that I was not afraid and to know that I trusted God to get me and our family through the difficult days. My prayer was always for strength and courage and for the opportunity to let other people know that God's grace is sufficient to meet all our needs.
Please ladies do not fail to get your mammograms on time and keep a check on yourselves for anything unusual. Early detection is so important. Lastly, put your faith in God and I promise you, if you know Him and trust Him he will never fail you!
"...Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you. So we say with confidence, the Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid." Hebrews 13:5
“A special thanks to my wonderful husband for all his love and extra help during all my appointments and treatments; also to my awesome boys who were so understanding when mom didn't feel good!"
Renee Henry and her husband, Dunn, live in Marietta. They have two children, a son, Gage-age 16 and a daughter, McLain-age 13. Completing their family is their poodle, Sam. Renee is a front office clerk at Dowell Elementary, and “loves” her job. Renee enjoys scrap booking and photography and has used her skills to document both the “good and the bad” of her treatment.
When I was diagnosed with Stage 3 breast cancer in 2007, I started a "Renee's Journey" scrapbook. I have photos of when I shaved my head prior to losing it all during chemo. I went through surgery and 33 radiation treatments and was even involved in a clinical trial for a new drug that had just been approved. My oncology nurse, Donna Bush, helped me through each treatment with patience, love & prayer. As a survivor herself, she understood exactly what I was going through.
With the support of my family, friends and prayer, I am now a 2-year survivor and so very thankful for each new day! My favorite quote is "Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass...it's about learning to dance in the rain!
After loosing her hair during chemo treatments, she decided when it grew back she would add a little pink color to it to be fun. Her pink tips have been a great spark to conversations about breast cancer awareness!
Nancy Wood and her husband, Henry, have been residents of Dallas for 29 years. They have quite an extended family, Jaime, Lindsay and her husband Edward and son Jackson, age 3, and Jeff and his wife Rondee. Nancy is a Nurse and is the Director of School Nurses for Paulding. Nancy loves to cook and has a collection of cookbooks and hopes to write her own in near future.
Nancy is a breast cancer survivor of 14 years. Her cancer was detected by routine mammogram. She then went through a lumpectomy and then chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Nancy and Henry are members of Dallas First UMC.
Our church sustained us! They fed us, provided transportation to and from chemo and constantly prayed for us! Carol Barber took the lead and organized it. I do not know how we could have gotten through the ordeal without them. I will forever be thankful to each and every one that gave me the strength to look forward and who picked me up if I faltered.
I take every opportunity to let people know I am a survivor....in hopes that by hearing my story, I may help save another life. I try to pay back to others what was so freely given to me. I try to make others strong and to keep looking forward in an effort to beat this disease! God had his hand in all of this! Breast cancer changed my life and I believe for the better. I have been blessed to be a 14 year survivor. Remind your loved ones to get a mammogram and to advocate for their own health!
Anita Kennerley - I was 42 - had been feeling a long, raised area in my breast for several months but didn't alert to it because it wasn't the typical "round" mass. I went in for a routine mammogram, and received a call that something was found - a circle of calcifications - and the radiologist recommended a biopsy. I remember waiting for the biopsy, alone and scared. Surely not... after the biopsy, my doctor said "it didn't look good", so I was tipped off. My boyfriend of 8 months was waiting for me, and we talked about the possibility.
I flew to California that week for a business meeting, and took a call from my doctor - it was malignant. I drove to a bookstore, bought $300 worth of books on breast cancer, went to the hotel room and called Patrick. He would be flying out immediately.
Then I made the hardest call I've ever made - to my Dad. My Dad lost his mother, his sister and his wife to breast cancer. Now his daughter has it... I had a mastectomy in August. My tumor was just shy of 3 cm. I started chemotherapy in September - Adriamycin and Cytoxin. This was 14 years ago...
Two months after my last chemo treatment, Patrick asked me to marry him. We live in Rockmart address. When we started our medical supply business, Pak-In-Pink in Hiram two years ago, I became a Certified Mastectomy Fitter so I could fit prosthetics and meet other breast cancer survivors. Our door is always open, to anyone dealing with the disease. Many women think "if it's not in my family", they're not at such a risk. I always emphasize - 85% of breast cancer diagnoses have no family history. I was in the minority. Get your mammograms, do your self checks - they will extend your life.
Penny Iorillo and her husband Anthony are residents of Kennesaw. They have three children, Trey - age 10, Thomas - age 8 and Tori - age 5. Penny works as a District Homebound Instructor for Paulding County. Penny and her family enjoy spending time together at the lake, walking and scrap-booking.
I was doing a self exam and found a lump in my left breast. I went to the doctor and had a mammogram, which led to a core needle biopsy. The pathology confirmed that I had stage one Invasive Ductile Carcinoma. On November 13th, 2008, I was diagnosed with Breast Cancer. I had a lumpectomy to remove the tumor, but when the doctor went to remove it found two satellite tumors attached to the original tumor.
Because of the multiple tumors, the diagnosis recommended chemotherapy. I did 4 rounds of chemo once every three weeks. I lost my hair, eyelashes, eyebrows, everything. This was probably the hardest thing to deal with, but my neighbors and friends rallied around me and got me a fabulous wig.
I was able to continue working during my treatments because of my faith in God, my family, my church, my tremendously supportive co-workers and my students. They all helped keep me going. I was also inspired and encouraged by those who I met who had been through cancer and by those who I met who were going through it while I was. In April, I decided to have a bilateral mastectomy because my re-occurance rate was 30 % without it and 2% if I had the surgery. That really was not a hard decision, but coping and recovering from this major surgery after chemo was a challenge.
I just had my last surgery on September 1st and I am doing well. Through this disease I have met the greatest women who have gone before me like Renee, Nancy and Anita and my sweet friend Brigette who was with me every step of the journey. They have all encouraged and inspired me throughout this past year and I know that we will all be friends for life. We all have a common bond and I know the Lord allowed me to go through this to glorify Him. I hope that I will be able to encourage many others down the road by my experience battling Breast Cancer.
We would like to thank Allen Turner, Heather Knuth and Debbie Jones at the Law Offices of Allen Turner in Dallas, for the use of the Historic Henderson House as the beautiful back drop for this very special cover! The Historic Henderson House has a very rich history which dates back to the early 1800s when the home was built for the John Henderson family. During the Civil War the house was used as the headquarters for Generals Sherman and McPhearson and a hospital for wounded Confederate soldiers. Since then, it has been a Bed and Breakfast, a restaurant, and for the last 10 years, it’s been the law offices for Allen Turner. We truly appreciate their enthusiasm to participate in our 2nd Anniversary cover shoot and for staying late so we could get our shots.
Breast Cancer Awareness is an important topic, and affects both women and men. We would like to remind all ladies to routinely do self exams, teach your daughters the importance of these self exams, and schedule a yearly mammogram, if you haven’t done so already. Don’t be ashamed to fight like a girl, remember you’re in the fight to “Save the TaTas!”