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Gwinnett Magazine Heroes Project 2016: Denise Hamm

“Rely on family and friends. You can’t do this by yourself.”
– Denise Hamm

Denise“I was 37 years old when I was diagnosed with Stage 2 breast cancer in 2010,” said Denise Hamm. “My mother had just died from lung cancer. I had a daughter in pre-school and a son in kindergarten and I had no idea how I was going to handle everything with my family so far away.”

“One day I came home from the hospital and I was in tears because the other breast was showing hot spots. When I told my husband there was a chance there was cancer in the other breast he looked at me and said, ‘We don’t need those breasts, we need you.’ ”

Denise continued, “I went ahead and had a double mastectomy and I’m glad I did. The hot spots turned out to be pre-cancerous cells.”

“After the shock of finding out you have cancer, you cry and then you get mad. I would tell anyone who gets diagnosed with cancer to rely on family and friends. You can’t do
this by yourself. You need
their strength.”