The Mentors Project: Candice Reed

MENTEE
Mindy Miller, speech language pathologist at Quail Creek Assisted Living

OBJECTIVE
I embarked on a life-changing journey last year. I went through breast cancer. This has given me my purpose in life and that is to mentor other women going through the same diagnosis.

HOW
Mindy and I were introduced by a mutual friend at my church. We would communicate weekly about questions she had, and I provided her with tips that could make treatments and surgeries more comfortable. She could ask me absolutely anything and felt comfort in doing so. I would check in on her almost every week and before treatments and surgeries. Sometimes I would show up to her chemo treatments and sit with her for a while and would bring her a little gift.

RESULTS
With cancer, everything starts happening so quickly. There are big decisions that have to be made. This is when a mentor comes in very helpful. Also it’s just comforting to know that all of your aches and pains are perfectly normal. The main thing is now we are friends for life and will always have that special bond.

CHALLENGES
Hearing of some of the women I’ve met who didn’t make it through their diagnosis.

BREAKTHROUGHS
Serving as the American Cancer Society’s Making Strides Against Breast Cancer 2016 Portrait of Hope.

YOUR MENTOR
I have a few. One is Dr. Mary Duff and another is Mary Beth O’Reilly.