MIDLAND, Texas — Nearly everyone has a friend, family member or loved one who has fought or is fighting breast cancer.
Throughout the month of October, Hope House in Midland, also known as Gifts of Hope, is honoring these people.
One person who is still fighting is Ellen Boyd.
Ellen loves to sing.
She’s a retired music professor from Sul Ross University.
And she’s lived in Alpine for the last 50 plus years.
But when she found out she had breast cancer 15 years ago, she had to make her way to Midland for treatment.
"I was complaining about how much it costs to stay in a hotel and a person who I’d seen at the cancer center at the entrance way back in ’05 said stay at Hope House," Ellen Boyd, breast cancer fighter said.
This is where Ellen has been getting the care, strength and encouragement she’s needed over the last 10 years.
"We want to make sure that no one has to fight this battle alone," Fatima Castillo, executive director of Gifts of Hope said.
"Being a single person and having lived alone, it’s great to have all of that," Boyd said.
Hope House provides her with a place to stay, food, a community that loves her and an easy commute for her treatment.
Texas Oncology is right across the street.
Unfortunately, about five months ago Ellen learned that the cancer is back.
But she finished 24 radiation treatments just last week and is keeping the faith.
And hope.
"We’ll get through it," Boyd said.
Just like millions of survivors ahead of her.
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Gifts of Hope will be hosting a car parade on October 17, 2020 at the Scharbauer Sports Complex to honor all West Texans impacted by breast cancer.
They are also hosting "pink the park" every Saturday this month at various locations, selling t-shirts and dedicating flamingos to survivors and fighters of breast cancer.