Annette Roy said she can't possibly explain the feeling she had when she was told she had cancer. But, instead of dwelling on the negative, the survivor is inspiring hope during Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
Roy is co-owner of Preferred Building Products in Chatham and said the company emphasizes breast cancer awareness year round, but especially during October.
The company is selling pink ribbons and texting gloves with the logo on them to raise money for the Canadian Cancer Society. Roy said it all started with her diagnosis and, while most stories are told about the negatives of cancer, she wanted to take a different route.
"I like to talk about what I've learned from cancer and have learned from my experience with breast cancer," Roy said. "I just want to give hope to everybody because us survivors are living hope."
Roy didn't dwell much on how it felt to be diagnosed because she said it is a feeling that can't be explained to or understood by anyone who hasn't been diagnosed. She prefers to focus on positives and where to find strength. Roy described the feeling of going through chemotherapy and surviving as God giving her a second chance.
She knows just how tough it is to be diagnosed and had some advice for anyone who recently was.
"Do not look at the bad parts of cancer or the breast cancer itself and do what you need to survive," Roy said. "I've had a mastectomy. I live my scars proudly. People who know me and workout with me at the gym [know] I don't do anything to disguise the fact I've had a mastectomy."
Roy added anyone going through breast cancer should be proud of any decisions they make.
She said cancer research is incredibly important and someone in her situation 20 years ago likely would have died. Roy added thanks to advancements she didn't.
While she only asks her staff to wear pink shirts during Breast Cancer Awareness Month, her trucks always don the pink ribbon to support and inspire hope in those who have breast cancer that it can be beaten.