For Scott White, 67, the Texas two-step comes naturally. Scott says his mother and stepfather were the smoothest dancers he ever saw. His mother owned a bar in Austin for 45 years, where the dance floor was open and country music filled the air, so Scott knew all the best moves. “I love to dance, I love music, and I …
Fredella Prather: Accepting the Gift of Help After a Colon Cancer Diagnosis
Fredella Prather, 59, is a self-described doer, fixer, and control freak. A resident of Georgetown and married to her husband Donnie for 25 years, Fredella is incredibly independent and, as she says, “not great at receiving.” Fredella was firm that she was not going to participate in regular cancer screenings like getting a mammogram or a colonoscopy. Despite a family …
Mike Rasnick: Never Lost Hope Despite Three Cancer Diagnoses
Mike Rasnick, 64, was born and raised in Houston. School bored him. He couldn’t wait to get home each day, jump on his horse, grab his pellet gun, and head to the creek. After graduating high school, he found himself in and out of what he called various “situations.” Mike ran his own carpet-cleaning business and didn’t really ever consider …
Brooke Hasty: The Importance of Finding Your People After a Breast Cancer Diagnosis
It was Mother’s Day weekend, 2021, and Brooke Hasty was getting dressed for the day. As she put on her shirt, she felt something in her right breast. “That’s odd,” she said and made a mental note to follow up with her gynecologist. Breast cancer wasn’t something Brooke had ever thought about. She was 39, and with no family history …
MARK TEMPELMEYER: A SECOND CHANCE AT LIFE WITH STAGE IV PROSTATE CANCER
In September 2022, Mark Tempelmeyer, 64, received a call that changed his life. Following his most recent prostate cancer screening, his prostate-specific antigen, or PSA, score was concerning. The very next day, Hurricane Ian hit the coast of Florida, devastating the community where he and his wife, Helene, were living. ‘Find me the best in Austin’ Mark and Helene, both …
ANITA RENTFRO: FACING THE FUTURE WITH KIDNEY CANCER
The devastating inferno that struck Bastrop County in 2011 is considered the most destructive wildfire in Texas history. For Anita Rentfro, losing her home in that fire was the beginning of a series of family losses and challenges. Now age 52, and living in Paige, Texas, Anita has endured much. In 2011, her family lost their home in the Bastrop …
JULEE WARE: TAKING ON THE ‘ADVENTURE’ OF CERVICAL CANCER
Julee Ware, 65, looks at her life as a series of adventures. A former lead singer and guitarist in a rock-and-roll band, low-carb food innovator, and private investigator who started her own business eight years ago, her life story has been anything but ordinary. There was no way an unexpected diagnosis of cervical cancer would knock her down and keep …
Robert Walker: Defying the Odds of Living with Stage IV Pancreatic Cancer
One of Robert Walker’s favorite quotes is, “When you are faced with problems, you face it head on, and you give your best fight.” No truer words can be spoken by someone who was diagnosed with stage IV pancreatic cancer and continues to fight this deadly disease. Born and raised in Austin, Robert, 68, has lived in the capital …
Allison Bond: Finding Support in the Fight Against Cancer
When Allison Bond, 36, was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2020, she had no idea the number of resources she and her family would need to deal with a shocking diagnosis right as a global pandemic was emerging. ‘An appointment that changed her life’ Currently in her eleventh year of teaching, Allison is a fourth-grade teacher in Leander. A mom …
Paul Lang: Finding Hope in Leading-Edge Cancer Treatment
In 2017, Paul Lang, now 48, was at a self-professed low moment in his life. He was a recently divorced father of three, he just found out he was being laid off from his job in the tech industry, and then, he was diagnosed with cancer. ‘The start of this cancer saga’ At work, Paul noticed he was becoming very …