Teresa is a lifelong resident of Bowling Green. She graduated from Bowling Green High School in 1968 and also attended Western Kentucky University and Vocational school. She has worked at Firestone, Holley Carburetor, and Eagle Industries, retiring after a long career. She is the daughter of the late Kenneth Cherry and Alice Bratcher, and a mother to three children: Janel, Brandon, and Sean. She has three grandsons and four granddaughters, and is affectionately known as “mi-mi.”
For the past 15 years, she has been a dedicated volunteer with the U.S. Marine Corps Toys for Tots program and founded the Warming Tree in 2017 to provide winter essentials to the homeless in the community.
Teresa’s personal cancer journey began in August of 2019, despite a clean mammogram earlier that year. She took her oldest granddaughter to visit her OB/GYN for a routine exam where the doctor demonstrated how to perform a self-check for breast cancer. Later that evening, she decided to perform her own self-check and to her surprise, she found a lump in her own breast. A few weeks later, she was diagnosed with Triple Negative breast cancer. In 2020, during the midst of Covid, she had a mastectomy and multiple rounds of chemotherapy. Teresa says, “I am entirely blessed and extremely grateful to the Good Lord above that today, I am cancer free!” Teresa believes in the power of sisterhood and encourages everyone to support each other, pray for a cure, and celebrate survivors!

In May 2023, while on a beach camping trip, Leslie discovered a lump in her left breast. A mammogram revealed Stage 3 Triple-Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC). Chemotherapy began in August and continued through December. Afterward, she had a lumpectomy with the removal of three lymph nodes, and was initially declared cancer-free. However, five weeks later, new tumors appeared in her left breast and under her right armpit, advancing her diagnosis to Stage 4. She underwent additional chemotherapy to shrink the tumors, followed by a mastectomy and the removal of 13 lymph nodes. While the tumors responded well, Leslie still had 3.78% cancer cells in her blood. Chemotherapy was paused for radiation, and she is now undergoing 30 rounds of treatment. Immunotherapy will follow in hopes of clearing the cancer from her blood entirely. Leslie says, “This journey has not been easy. There have been many days when I felt I could no longer keep going on, but I am incredibly fortunate to have a strong support group that motivates me daily. With God, and the unwavering love and support of my family, friends, and community, I have found the strength and courage to stay focused and keep fighting.”

Cynthia was born in New Orleans, but has lived in Auburn, KY since 1994. She has worked in the billing department at Graves Gilbert Clinic for 6 years. She is a long-time advocate for the American Cancer Society, participating in Relay for Life events for 40 years. In June 2023, Cynthia began experiencing pain in her right side and abnormal discharge. After an ultrasound of her entire system, they discovered a hiatal hernia, cysts on both kidneys, diverticulitis and a less than pea sized fibroid cyst in the endocervical region. She was then sent to her OBGYN where a CT scan revealed a cyst on her right ovary and that the less than pea size cyst had almost quadrupled in size over the last 32 days. Cynthia was referred to Dr. Numnum in Nashville at Tennessee Oncology where it was determined she needed a radical hysterectomy and would be sent to Sarah Cannon Cancer Institute. She received the heartwrenching diagnoses of endometrial and uterine cancer. Her surgery was scheduled for December, but after the procedure, Cynthia was also diagnosed with cervical cancer, though it was caught early (Stage 1, 2B). She began radiation in February 2024, finishing her treatment on March 29, 2024. By August, Cynthia received the news that her cancers were in remission!
Cynthia previously battled skin cancer in 2022, undergoing 38 treatments. Now, she is writing a book to help other cancer patients and caregivers, supported by her faith and the American Cancer Society. Her greatest champions through this journey were God, her church family, her best friend Cindy along with other friends, her Radiology Team who never let her lose hope, and especially her daughter.