2015 Survivor Profile - Sharon Craggette

When asked to talk about breast cancer, you wouldn't expect to hear the word blessed, but for Sharon Craggette, it's exactly how she feels. "From the beginning I was told the odds were against me because women of color barely survive the aggressive treatment I had to undergo. I beat those odds, so how can I not feel blessed for this journey!"

A deeply spiritual woman, Sharon credits her faith and her family as her greatest source of strength. "I knew that God did not bring me this far to leave me.  All along I refused to accept that this disease would take me down."

Sharon endured removal of a tumor and both breasts, chemo, radiation and a hysterectomy.  A cancer survivor for eight years now, she feels that she survived her storm to help others do the same. "Not all women know what's available to them in terms of medical care, insurance coverage, and financial and emotional support. I was blessed to have the wonderful people from The Ellen Hermanson Breast Center in Southampton, as well as Fighting Chances Counseling Center in Sag Harbor, on my side as my rock.

Her advice to other women out there fighting for their lives, "Stay positive, doing so will give you the power to go on. Remember, what you put out there is what you get back.  Speak life and claim victory!"