'I'm a fighter:' FOX6 family member, battling breast cancer for the 3rd time, inspires others to 'find a cure'
MILWAUKEE -- In 2019 alone, 4,700 Wisconsin residents will be diagnosed with breast cancer, and according to Susan G. Komen Wisconsin officials, another 700 will die from the disease. Those statistics are more than numbers. Here at FOX6 News, they hit close to home.
As far as her fourth-graders know, Nancy Docter has all the answers. Their teacher always points them in the right direction, but answers outside the classroom are hard to come by when you don't know how your own journey ends.
"The doctor had called me on a Sunday," said Docter. "Doctors don't call you on a Sunday. They just don't."
Docter didn't have any symptoms this time around. She had already beaten cancer twice, and she was preparing for reconstructive surgery when a routine test revealed her breast cancer was back -- again.
Nancy Docter
"It was tough because I had fought it so hard the second time," said Docter. "I thought I was being so brave, and I thought we did everything."
The test caught it early, but not before it spread to her bones -- cancer without a cure.
"Your whole life comes in front of you, and you go, 'I need to see my kids graduate,'" said Docter. "'I need to see my kids get married. I need to see my grandchildren.'"
A new drug is keeping the disease from spreading, giving her time to be with her loved ones, including a member of the FOX6 family, her husband, Cary Docter.
Cary and Nancy Docter
"My husband has been with me the whole fight," said Nancy Docter.
He's not alone. More than 6,000 people are expected to take part in the Susan G. Komen Wisconsin More Than Pink Walk presented by Kohl's set for Sept. 22.
"It goes beyond awareness, and that's the idea behind More Than Pink," said Mel Tobiasz with Susan G. Komen Wisconsin.
The walk raises money for research and a patient assistance fund.
"We are working every day to find a cure," said Tobiasz.
The walk involves a community waging war against cancer, and, step by step, together, inspiring hope.
"Take the time to look backwards to see where you've been, and see the community behind you is absolutely amazing," said Docter.
Nancy Docter's path lies ahead -- lined by the many people who love her, and her own promise to never give up.
Nancy Docter
"All of my support system tells me, 'You have longer than you think,'" said Docter. "I'm a fighter. I know no other way."
CLICK HERE to register for the Susan G. Komen Wisconsin More Than Pink Walk Sept. 22.
If you can't make it down to Maier Festival Park, you can sign up as a virtual participant. CLICK HERE to donate via Nancy Docter's fundraising page.