A News Anchor's Plea To Her Audience
- Legendary Alabama television news anchor Pam Huff took to social media to report on something personal: that she had been diagnosed with breast cancer following a mammogram.
- Huff said she has a long road ahead of her that will include chemotherapy and a lumpectomy but said her faith in God will see her through.
- Faith can be a powerful tool while going through a difficult time like a cancer diagnosis. One pastor told Survivornet that times of difficulty can be an opportunity to reach out to loved ones and make those bonds stronger.
"Every year since I was 35, I have had a mammogram. There have been a couple of scares along the way, but it was always fine. Until now. I have been diagnosed with breast cancer," Pam Huff said in the video. "I really do feel so blessed since my doctors caught it early and it has not spread into my lymph nodes."
Read MorePrayers and good thoughts appreciated! pic.twitter.com/hmxBgJBwJb
Pam Huff (@pamabc3340) July 20, 2022
Huff continued, saying she was sharing with her audience to let them know she would be starting chemotherapy in August, followed by a lumpectomy, likely in January.
"So, I’m going to be needing a wig. My friends here at the anchor desk have all agreed to go with me to help pick that out," she said.
She added, in a more serious tone, that others should learn from her ordeal and get themselves checked regularly.
"The cancer that I have is considered aggressive and developed in the last 12 months," she said. "So please, don’t put off getting a mammogram. I’m in my 60s and breast cancer was not on my radar, but here we are."
According to her LinkedIn profile, Huff has more than 40 years of experience in teleivision news as an anchor and reporter, with most of that time being spent in Birmingham, AL. She has been an anchor at WBMA-TV since 1997, where she became the first woman to work as a prime time nightly news anchor. She has received numerous awards, including an Emmy and was inducted National Association of Television Arts and Sciences "Silver Circle," recognizing television personalities who have worked for at least 25 years in the industry.
An Outpouring Of Support
Other members of the media and devoted audience members immediately came forward with an outpouring of support for Huff.
You are in my family's prayers!
Sheldon Haygood (@SheldonFox6) July 21, 2022
Praying for you @pamabc3340 for quick healing…You've got this!
Wes Wyatt (@weswyattweather) July 21, 2022
You and your family are in my prayers and thoughts. You are an inspiration to us all. ðŸ™ðŸ¼ðŸ’— pic.twitter.com/Y6C6zFSD9k
Maree 💗ðŸ¾ðŸ’— (@Maree71439592) July 21, 2022
The Importance Of Mammograms
Breast cancer is typically detected via a mammogram. During the mammogram screening, the doctor is looking for lumps in the breast tissue or early signs of breast cancer. Most women should begin screening for breast cancer at 45.
Dr. Connie Lehman, the chief of Breast Imaging Division at Massachusetts General Hospital, said in a previous interview, "If you haven't gone through menopause yet, I think it's very important that you have a mammogram every year. We know that cancers grow more rapidly in our younger patients, and having that annual mammogram can be lifesaving."
When You're Getting a Mammogram, Ask About Dense Breasts
"After menopause, it may be perfectly acceptable to reduce that frequency to every two years," says Dr. Lehman. "But what I'm most concerned about is the women who haven't been in for a mammogram for two, three, or four years, those women that have never had a mammogram. We all agree regular screening mammography saves lives. I want to be completely clear. If you are between 50 and 74 and you have not had a mammogram in the last two years, you are overdue. Please get a mammogram."
Calling On Her Faith
Huff ended her video on a spiritual note, saying she is a "woman of great faith."
"I know that God has me every single step of the way, I’ve already seen that. He’s not finished with me yet. So I’m going to work through this and I’m going to come out the other side, stronger than ever."
Tearing up, Huff finished by asking for prayers.
"I ask for your good wishes and I thank you for all your support through all these decades on the air."
Faith can play a powerful role in a fight against cancer. In a previous interview with Survivornet, Brick Presbyterian Church pastor Tom Evans noted that some people have a tendency to “want to shut down within yourself out of fear.”
“It’s important to reach out in a simple prayer to God, even if you’ve never prayed before and don’t know what to say. You can reach out to God and reach out to people and say, ‘I can’t do this on my own. I need you,'” he said. “It’s in that willingness to be open and receive that we can find something deeper than anything we would have encountered without that hardship.”
Faith Perspective: Opening Yourself Up to Others After a Cancer Diagnosis
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