Waynestock 2025 Saturday, October 4th

My name is Barbi Walker (formerly Schumaker). I am originally from Independence, MO and I graduated from Truman High School in 1990.

I have spent much of my life devoted to taking care of others and, for the last 5 years, all of my love and energy went into supporting my husband, Jeff, who was afflicted with liver and kidney disease. Sadly, Jeff passed away in November of 2019.

In 2020, I decided to move to Odessa, MO in order to find some much-needed peace and solace. It seemed to be helping and I was enjoying life again, until September 2022 when I received the terrible news that one of my best friends of 26 years, Christie LeVota, had been diagnosed with three brain tumors and B Cell Lymphoma. She went through two surgeries, chemo treatments, and a 5-month battle with the disease, before ultimately succumbing to it in January of 2023.

Cancer does not discriminate and it takes the best of the best from us. It was during this time that I heard Christie's voice in my head, telling me to take care of myself and get a mammogram. While I had appointments set up for the procedure, other matters always seemed to take precedence and my own health was always a low priority. I took Christie's advice and went in for my first mammogram, and the radiologist informed me that there were suspicious areas in my breast and enlarged lymph nodes which did not have any helium in the center, a sign of cancer.

After getting a biopsy, I was devastated to learn that I had tested positive for invasive ductal carcinoma. Further tests determined that I was suffering from the particularly aggressive Triple Negative Breast Cancer, which accounts for 10% of all breast cancers and affects 13 in every 100,000 females in the United States. Not only is this type of cancer very aggressive, but it also has a high rate of reoccurrence.

My story serves as an important reminder to take charge of your health and stay on top of regular check-ups, not telling yourself that it can wait until next year because early detection can make all the difference when it comes to cancer. I am immensely grateful that I listened to Christie's voice and made my health a priority, as it has potentially saved my life and given me the chance to fight for it.

I have been taking the time to paint "kindness rocks" for other cancer patients, in order to give them encouraging messages and to show them that they are not alone in this battle. I myself have been close to giving up at times, as cancer is a physically and emotionally draining ordeal, but I keep pushing through because I want to fight for my family, children, and friends, and I want to be around to continue to make a difference and pay it forward for years to come.