Heather Silmon is a busy wife and mother. She is an educator of 26 years. She has been married to Tyrone Silmon for more than five years and together, they have for children, Corey, Abigail, Collin and Carter.

She was enjoying life as a newlywed--dedicated to being a great partner and mother when her world turned upside down by a triple negative breast cancer diagnosis on September 6, 2023. She says the diagnosis came as the worst anniversary gift ever because September 6th is Heather and Tyrone’s wedding anniversary. Immediately after the diagnosis, she underwent surgery to implant a port for three phases of chemotherapy, totaling 26 sessions. After the second phase of chemotherapy and to escape radiation, Heather underwent a double mastectomy with reconstruction, and six weeks later, she completed the last, 9-week phase of chemotherapy. While her medical team was competent, professional and more than wonderful, Heather recalls a period of intense anxiety and emotional turmoil as she navigated treatment and recovery behind closed doors.

Rather than allowing her fear to consume her, Heather harnessed her experience to become a vocal advocate for early detection and emotional well-being. She began journaling in order to remember the details of her healing journey, a practice she found therapeutic to process her emotions and come face-to-face with her goal to be healed. Heather shared her testimony and story with other woman and personal friends of friends who had also been diagnosed with breast cancer. Her goal for the future is to conduct a “Girl Trips” retreat for women breast cancer survivors. 

Heather still works as a school counselor for a local high school and volunteers her time on social media as a “Selfcare Healing Advocate” for not only newly diagnosed patients, but for anyone who needs to make themselves and their healing a priority. She aims to demonstrate how to use personal, social media testimonies as a healing tool and a coping mechanism for the after effects of chemotherapy. She stresses the importance of advocating for one's own health and encourages women to get annual exams. While she continues to have follow-up appointments, Heather has found immense gratitude in her life post-cancer, realizing the importance of celebrating and self-care every day. She whole heartily believes her daily mantra: Today, I make a fresh start and a strong commitment to walk in love, to let the tenderness of God flow through me and heal the wounded hearts of those I meet. She credits her walk with God as the primary reason she is alive. A multitude of gratitude is given to her husband for tossing everything aside to travel on the journey to healing with her. She boldly states, “From a single white blood cell count injection to being on FMLA, my best friend has never left my side. God gave me the absolutely wonderful king that any queen could ever have. Tyrone was by my side every step of the way, even when I wanted to quit and not finish my treatments. I could not have done any of it without him. We strongly believe that we can all fight smarter and harder to find strength when we think we can't go on."