JACKSONVILLE, Fl. – Wykina Harris has become an advocate for breast cancer screening after a mammogram revealed three tumors in her breast three years ago.
Harris had just turned 40 years old when her doctor encouraged her to be screened for breast cancer. She had no symptoms and no family history when she had her first mammogram.
She never expected the call she received shortly after, explaining the results of her first mammogram came back abnormal and she needed to be re-screened.
“I thought it was a mistake,” explained Harris who assumed it was a false positive.
She said she did not want to pay for another mammogram and could not be screened until later that year when she called the Veterans’ Affairs hospital to arrange for the second screening.
She was not worried and was going to wait, until an employee from the Hill Breast Center in Jacksonville called her to set up a re-screening right away.
“There was something in her voice. She said I had been on her mind. I thought, ‘Why would she have been thinking about me?’” Harris said.
She said the woman on the other end of the phone told her she had a relative who had cancer and just wanted to make sure that Harris was re-screened as soon as possible.
It worked. Harris was re-screened within days. Doctors discovered three malignant tumors in her breast.
We first introduced you to Harris in April when she and a group of other local breast cancer survivors were training for a dragon boat paddle competition in New Zealand. They are members of the Jacksonville club that travels around the state and the world to compete against other breast cancer survivors. Click here to watch that story.
Harris told us when we interviewed her in April that had it not been for the woman who called her that day, she believes the breast cancer could have spread to her other breast or even the rest of her body.
She credits the woman on the phone for saving her life. In fact, she said she has used that phone conversation to educate other women since her diagnosis about the importance of breast cancer screenings.
Harris had always wanted to thank the woman who called her that day. But she could not remember her name, where exactly she worked or even the day of the phone call.
News4JAX wanted to help reunite them.
With the help of Baptist Medical Center, we found Georgia Stalvey, a 44-year employee of Baptist, who has spent the last 25 years working with women as a mammogram liaison.
We hatched a plan to surprise Harris, who broke down in tears when I introduced her to Stalvey.
“Not only did you save my life, but you saved so many other women’s lives,” said Harris crying and hugging Stalvey. “I talk about you all the time. It means so much to me what you did.”
Stalvey was delighted to meet Harris and said she talks to many women every day about their mammogram results, but “there are certain ladies that stand out to me,” she said. “This is one of them,” motioning toward Harris.
Stalvey said she called Harris three times trying to encourage her to be re-screened. “She just needed that little push,” she said to Harris.
Harris laughed, “It doesn’t take much for me, just a little push.” Stalvey said she does not like to pressure women, she just “nudges them.”
Harris remembers that conversation as if it was yesterday. “She was just, you know, we can set you up on this, we can put you in and if you don’t need it,” Harris recounted. “I cannot believe you remember all that, cause that’s exactly right,” interrupted Stalvey.
Both women laughed about their incredible recollection of that conversation three years ago.
Harris said that phone call and Georgia Stalvey changed her life.
Stalvey said she hopes this story will remind women to get screened for breast cancer and if they receive an abnormal diagnosis, she encourages them to always follow up.
She said some women never schedule a follow-up appointment out of fear it could come back as bad news. She said others will wait and delay to be re-screened. But, we know early detection is critical to a positive outcome.
While breast cancer may have brought the two women together, they are reveling in the news that Harris is now cancer free.
“Thank you, thank you so much,” Harris said.