Today we’d like to introduce you to Allura Williams.
Hi Allura, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
My name is Allura Williams, and I am a survivor, advocate, and the Chief Executive Officer of Pink Warrior Advocates, a local breast cancer non-profit in New Braunfels, Texas. I often think about how I got into my career, and I would never have imagined my breast cancer diagnosis would lead me to so many blessings.
A little back story about me – I am 34 years old and moved to Texas with just a bag and some friends 8 years ago. I wasn’t sure what I was searching for, but I knew it was an opportunity to explore the world and venture out from my little hometown of Orange, Massachusetts. Within a few months, I found a job at a treatment center for teenage girls that have emotional and behavioral issues because of their neglect and abuse. I dedicated so much time to pouring my heart out for those young ladies. I loved that job and never imagined leaving it, but God sure had other plans for me.
I first found my lump on my wedding day. It wasn’t until six months later that I was diagnosed with Triple Positive Breast Cancer. Scared and confused, I spent months searching for the right team of doctors. I underwent a partial mastectomy, 6 months of chemotherapy, 34 daily rounds of radiation to my left side, and over a year of targeted therapy called Herceptin, which is used to treat the HER 2+ receptors to fight the rapid cancer cell growth, and a total hysterectomy to stop the production of hormones. All necessary for the longevity of my life.
I had a family friend tell me about Pink Warrior Advocates, but I was still deciding whether to reach out to anyone within the organization. That was until I faced my first round of the ‘Red Devil,’ also known as Adriamycin and Cytoxan, a chemotherapy regimen. Jen Reynolds, the late founder, and President of the organization answered my call on the first ring, and I cannot put into words how much her support meant to me not only that night but in the darkest of days through my journey. She was there for me in a way that nobody else could be. My favorite tip she gave me, which I still use to this day, is to eat potatoes. Like most patients, I couldn’t stomach a thing during treatment, and this advice saved me.
Like any illness, cancer isn’t cheap, especially when you need to hit your out-of-pocket 2x in one year. Newly married, and we were floating in medical debt. Our family and friends rallied, and we were well on our way to paying off what was owed. I decided to apply for a financial aid grant with Pink Warrior Advocates, and thankfully it allowed us to be freed from the debt of my cancer. I couldn’t believe it. I knew, from that moment forward, I wanted to do more for this community of fighters and more for the organization that helped me through my cancer journey.
After treatment, I was asked to be the Volunteer Coordinator, and I quickly accepted the offer. A few months later, I worked 10 hours weekly as the Administrative Assistant. Just over a year later, in December of 2021, I was asked to come on full-time and work alongside my friend Jen, who, at that point, was battling her Stage IV diagnosis. Very shortly after I accepted the position, she was gone.
We all face challenges, but would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
My biggest obstacle has been accepting that I am now 1 in 3 of my cancer returning as Stage IV. As a young survivor, I’m unsure how or when I will get through that. Every scan, every blood draw, it’s almost impossible not to go there. “What if it’s back?” I think the best word for this is coping. I have learned and conditioned myself to cope in the hard moments and be joyous in the good. Jen was great at showing how to live despite the odds; despite what her doctors told her, she truly lived like every single day was her last, and that is what I’m working on achieving.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Pink Warrior Advocates is a local breast cancer non-profit in the Texas Hill Country. Our mission is to empower breast cancer patients while advocating for their emotional and financial wellness. Founded in 2018 by Jen Reynolds. Jen battled Stage IV incurable breast cancer for 8 years, and she felt our community lacked the support she needed. We have 2 support group meetings every month—TV Thursday, which stands for Trust and Vulnerability Through Cancer. We have a newly diagnosed group at our office on the 1st Thursday of the month and another on the 4th Thursday of the Month for all warriors, survivors, and co-survivors which is held typically at Texas Ski Ranch, New Braunfels. Other programs would be our local Financial Assistance Program and MetaWish Program for warriors in the 19 counties we serve throughout the Texas Hill Country as well as our national programs for sending out care kits and mastectomy bras. Breast Cancer has become my superpower. I am honored to be able to continue Jen’s footsteps alongside the incredible board of directors in making sure no one fights alone.
We’d love to hear what you think about risk-taking.
There have been lots of risks that I have taken, such as moving to Texas and leaving the job I never thought I’d leave to join the non-profit full-time. However, one risk I have yet to mention that I immediately thought of is skydiving. I was honored to jump out of a perfectly good airplane at our Pink Skies Boogie event in August 2021. I tandem jumped for a Stage IV warrior who was sponsored but was unable due to her health. I didn’t plan to jump that day, but I could not say no once I was asked. I had to for her! I had skydived before, but after fighting cancer, the experience felt different. There is something about being in the airplane door, looking out 10,000+ feet in the air, and simply being in the moment, taking the risk, and living. That’s what I plan to do, to find Joy and Hope in everything I do. I am honored and excited to see where this next chapter of life takes me, and I’m incredibly thankful that at this point in my journey, I now get to be someone else’s Jen.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.pinkwarrioradvocates.org
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pinkwarrioradvocates/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pinkwarrioradvocates
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/allura-williams-64004b202
