Published: October 01, 2008 07:44 pm            

Cancer survivors invited to reception

Wine and cheese event set Friday before race Saturday

TERRE HAUTE — Nikia Hammonds-Blakely, a young breast cancer survivor who was diagnosed at age 16, will share her story at a wine and cheese reception for breast cancer survivors on Friday.

The reception, which is sponsored by the Wabash Valley Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure, will begin at 5:30 p.m. at Hux Cancer Center, located at 61⁄2 and Beech streets on the north side of Union Hospital in Terre Haute. The reception is free for breast cancer survivors.

Having survived a life-altering bout with breast cancer at age 16, Hammonds-Blakely uses her unique ministry of motivation and encouragement to share her testimony of physical and emotional healing.

In the face of her battle with cancer, Hammonds-Blakely became an honor graduate of William A. Wirt High School and the first in her family to graduate from college, earning a B.S. in communications from Indiana State University.

Since then, she’s received an M.B.A. from Capella University and is currently completing a doctorate in organizational management.

Most recently, Hammonds-Blakely was chosen as one of only 11 young women in the United State to serve as a member of the Young Women’s National Advisory Council for Susan G. Komen For The Cure. She is also a national ambassador and media spokesperson for Circle of Promise, a breast cancer awareness campaign specifically targeted toward African-American women.

She credits her success to God’s favor and “the will to live,” and through her work, she seeks to encourage youth to follow their dreams and maximize their potential, even in the face of adversity.

For more information about Hammonds-Blakely’s presentation, contact Gwen Hicks at wvracecure@aol.com or call (812) 241-9730.

        

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