By Kayla Loveless, Staff Writer
Usually, you can find Amy Denson coaching middle and high schoolers at the track in the afternoons, and leading at her church’s youth group activities at night – but more recently, Denson’s life has looked a little different after a cancer diagnosis in December.
In October, Denson noticed a strange lump under her arm and asked one of her students what it could possibly be. Denson had received a clear mammogram back in May, so she was not concerned about it at first. Thinking the lump was a simple cyst, Denson asked her doctor the next time she went in for an appointment.
Her doctor thought the same of it, but also let Denson know that she found something suspicious in her right breast. A few weeks later, the doctor called back with the results.
“I went and had another mammogram done right around Christmastime,” Denson said. “And (the doctor) called me, I’m looking through Christmas cards, and she said the results came back as highly suspecting of malignancy.”
After receiving this news, Denson and her husband, Jason, knew that they wanted to make their family’s Christmas season the best they could. Denson’s family received one of the greatest Christmases to date, with gifts including tickets to a UNC basketball game for their son.
Just after Christmas, Denson was diagnosed with stage IIB breast cancer. After many tests, she discovered that the cancer was isolated to certain parts of her body. Being diagnosed has led to countless doctor’s appointments.
“It’s like endless doctor’s appointments. It’s just asking them, ‘What can I still do?’ and they’ve all said, ‘Do what you normally would,’ ” Denson said. “I looked at them like, ‘Are you serious? Because this is a capacity issue, am I going to be able to function? Doesn’t this make you tired?’ ”
Denson began chemotherapy on Feb. 7. Drugs used for chemotherapy are used to slow the spread of cancer cells, but they can affect healthy cells as well, causing different side effects. Chemo involves effects like fatigue, hair loss, infections and more. These side effects could make it difficult to perform daily tasks.
One of Denson’s many tasks is working with the youth group at Duck United Methodist Church, where she’s been a leader for 15 years. Since her diagnosis, she has put her seniors who have been going to the youth group for over seven years in charge.
Senior Reagan Minnich has been attending this youth group since she was in sixth grade and now leads a small group of younger girls every week.
“We’re all just trying to help out as much as we can if (Denson) needs help with getting meals and things like that for youth group,” Minnich said.
While the youth group is very important to Denson, she made it clear that her family was paramount.
“My first priority is my family,” Denson said. “I want to make sure that I can still be a good wife and a mom to my kids, and also do the things that God has called me to do here, which is to be a pastor and be a coach.”
Denson has been a cross country coach for five years. Recently, she became the head coach of the team. Sophomore Lucy Stecher has been running track for just as long and has loved getting to know Denson.
“She’s really been an inspiration to me over the years,” Stecher said. “Especially now that she’s going through what she is, I know that she’s strong enough to pull through.”
Pulling through to Denson is about more than simply beating a cancer diagnosis. It also means never missing an opportunity.
“You never know what opportunities you’re going to have when you have them,” Denson said. “When they arise you need to just go ahead and take them.”
Sophomore Kayla Loveless can be reached at 24lovelesska73@daretolearn.org.
