Through an experience she wishes she didn’t have, Tracie Johnson learned the importance of breast screenings. In 2002, doctors found a lump in her breast. Fortunately, it was benign and was removed through needle aspiration. After that frightening incident, Tracie chose a preventive approach regarding her breast health and obtained her first mammogram, and subsequently, two mammograms every year. She is grateful every single day for this decision.

In 2015, a mammogram revealed an abnormal cell in her right breast. “Because I was keeping up on my screenings, it was so small that it wasn’t even Stage 1,” the single mother and teacher in Grand Blanc announces with tremendous relief. She describes the tumor as the size of a dot from an ink pen.

She chose Genesys Hurley Cancer Institute (GHCI) for her radiation treatments. “I knew I was in good hands, and I knew I would be fine,” she adds. “I had heard all good things about Genesys Hurley Cancer Institute, that is why I chose it for my treatments. The staff were so warm and helpful, and they made my experience very positive.

“I believe people should stop thinking about what’s going wrong and start thinking about what’s going right, and that’s exactly what I did during my cancer journey,” she asserts.

After her last radiation treatment, the GHCI staff awarded Tracie with a certificate for “the patient with the best attitude,” she’s proud to say.

“If my story can reach one person holding onto fear about getting screened, that is my purpose. Maybe my voice and my words will encourage others to get a breast screening. What do you have to lose?”

Genesys Hurley Cancer Institute is offering free breast screenings on Thursday, Oct. 14, from 5 pm to 7 pm at the institute, located at 302 Kensington Avenue in Flint. No appointment or registration is needed. Simply walk in between the hours of 5 pm and 7 pm, and you will see a physician who will conduct the exam. If the physician determines a mammogram is needed, it will be scheduled for a later date and provided free of charge to those without health insurance or who are underinsured and cannot afford the co-pay.

For more information about the breast screenings, call Genesys Hurley Cancer Institute at 810.762.8226. GHCI adheres to CDC recommendations to prevent the spread of COVID-19.