Breast cancer survivor beats the odds with faith, friends and hope
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
By: Wayne Lewis

"My name is Kommah McDowell, and I am a walking miracle."

Struck with an advanced, aggressive form of breast cancer, Kommah McDowell knew that the odds were against her. When she was diagnosed, only 5 percent of those diagnosed with stage 4 inflammatory breast cancer survived five years.

"I had worked as a temp at City of Hope while I was in college, so I knew where to go," she recalled.

McDowell's treatments took over her life. As a result of chemotherapy, she was confined to bed for four months. She had a radical mastectomy and radiation treatment, followed by more surgery after she discovered a lump in her left breast.

During her two-year battle with breast cancer, her spirits were bolstered by the support of her family and a large network of friends. Determined that cancer would not interfere with all her plans, McDowell married her fiancé between treatments.

She also credits the compassion and expertise of the medical team at City of Hope, one of ThinkCure’s beneficiaries. "I wasn’t just another patient or number, but a member of a community within City of Hope," she said. "Words cannot express how grateful my family and I are for my second chance at life." Now cancer-free and approaching the four-year anniversary of her diagnosis, McDowell has beaten the stacked odds she once faced. Although doctors cautioned that the powerful treatments that saved her life might make having children impossible, last spring, she gave birth to her first child, a boy she named Christian.

She now speaks publicly about her experiences and the importance of cancer research. Often, she will begin a speech by saying, "My name is Kommah McDowell, and I am a walking miracle."