Brandon Twp.- Kris Mathews was surprised and in tears when several friends showed up on her doorstep last Wednesday, but the real surprise was behind them, in the driveway? an orange Dodge Charger limousine.
For the past several months, Mathews? friends and family have been there for her as she has battled breast cancer.
Now, surrounded by her mother, sister, and seven friends, all chattering and smiling, Mathews poses outside the limousine before climbing in and finding champagne flutes, which Cameron’s Limousine owner and driver, Mike Glynn, soon fills.
‘I thought it would be so cool to get a limo,? said friend Robin Loughlin. ‘She is such a trooper… It’s fun to have little things to celebrate along the way in her treatment.?
The friends and family pile into the limo with Mathews, ready to celebrate her final week of radiation.
‘They have all helped so much through my chemo and radiation,? says the 38-year-old mother of three. ‘I couldn’t have done it without them.?
Mathews was diagnosed with Stage three breast cancer, invasive ductal carcinoma, on Oct. 21 after finding a lump in her left breast. She began chemotherapy, a total of 11 treatments, with one treatment every three weeks, to shrink the cancer. Mathews? mother, Gayle Fisher, came to stay with her daughter, son-in-law Craig and their three sons, Craig, now 11, Kyle, 9, and Collin, 7.
Mathews says her mother became her, taking care of her children as she was sick. Every week, her friends were there bringing cards and gifts and dinner, to make her struggle easier, and taking her children places.
‘Her friends have been so supportive, bringing dinners every week when she had chemo,? says Fisher. ‘They are wonderful friends.?
‘I had to lay in bed and watch the world pass me by,? says Mathews, who lost her long blonde hair by Thanksgiving and had to quit coaching the Brandon High School freshman girls basketball team. ‘I don’t know how to express my gratitude for how wonderful everyone has been, but I will help others and keep positive.?
The cancer initially shrank, but returned and Mathews had a mastectomy July 5, followed by 33 days of radiation treatment at the Karmanos Cancer Institute in Detroit. But always, she has had her family and friends to lean on.
‘You always wonder what cancer is going to do to your life or how it will change you,? says Mathews. ‘I am closer to God and I have become a better sister, daughter, mother and friend than I’ve ever been. I think I’m in this world to help young women become more aware of their health and inspire them to be the healthiest people they can be. I have always believed I will survive and something good will come out of it.?
Mathews was given a 50-50 chance of survival by doctors and soon she will have a CAT scan to see how successful the treatment has been. But for today, while she felt special, she also felt normal again. She was able to concentrate on the here and now, celebrating life with champagne, a limo ride, a picnic in a Clarkston park, dessert and coffee at a local restaurant, and friends.
Good ones.