In September 1999, because she had found some irregularities in her left breast, she decided (after skipping her annual mammogram for three years) that she should keep the appointment made for her by her doctor. The result was a referral to a surgeon. She had a surgical biopsy and learned that she had breast cancer. On Wednesday, Oct. 6, 1999, she underwent mastectomy of her left breast.

Being diagnosed with cancer jarred her to the depth of her being. It took her two years to reclaim her life. During those two years, she took notice of how little was available in the Anniston area for breast cancer patients. She had several encounters with people, starting with Dr. Bruce Wilkerson (in 2000, at Joy Christian Bookstore in Jacksonville). He gave her a copy of his book, The Prayer of Jabez. The final encounter was in Unique Salon in Golden Springs, where Liz Edwards gave her Chaplain Jim Wilson’s phone number and said, “Call him!”

Her words to Chaplain Wilson were, “I think I need to be involved in a breast cancer support group,” to which he replied, “You’ll have to do more than that; we don’t have one.” Calls were made to known survivors, and at the very first meeting (on the fourth Tuesday evening of August 2001), there were five survivors, along with her husband and Chaplain Wilson.

While this story could belong to any number of women faced with breast cancer, it is the story of Lenora Johnson, founder and executive director of Steel Magnolias Breast Cancer Support Group Inc., a nonprofit organization whose mission is to provide valuable support and services to cancer patients in our community.

Steel Magnolias officers include president, Marti Warren; vice president, Keither Zeimet; secretary, Margaret Taylor; and treasurer, Nancy Burnell. The Board of Directors for Steel Magnolias includes chairman, Dr. Dave Roberts; Debi Kaufman, Anniston Oncology; Margaret Taylor, survivor; Marti Warren, survivor; Nancy Burnell, survivor; Dr. Jeffrey Collins, Anniston OBGYN; Lenora Johnson, survivor; and Chaplain Jim Wilson, Regional Medical Center.

Steel Magnolias meets the fourth Tuesday of each month at 5 p.m. in Suite 406 at the RMC Physicians Center. The organization provides services and programs, including care packages for newly diagnosed patients; Pinks Boutique, stocked with wigs, mastectomy bras, prostheses, hats and scarves (free to cancer patients); Steel Magnolias School Girl Awareness Program for seventh- through 12th-grade girls; and a speakers bureau, which provides speakers to churches, civic clubs and health fairs. In addition, Men of Steel is an affiliate (made up of husbands and boyfriends) of Steel Magnolias.

The group sponsors and participates in several annual events: the Quintard Mall Bake and Jewelry Sale, the Dining Voucher Bazaar at RMC, the Lea Fite Memorial Golf Tournament (Men of Steel Event), the New Beginnings Banquet, and the Steel Magnolias Christmas Breakfast.

There has not been a year without groundbreaking achievements by this band of survivors. In 2003, five Alabama women traveled to Africa to climb Mount Kilimanjaro. Two made it to the summit. With a flag signed by the other Steel Magnolias members, Marilyn McCormack was one of the two.

The most important victory for Steel Magnolias — and the most beneficial to uninsured breast and cervical cancer patients — was the passage, by unanimous vote in 2009, of HB147, a bill sponsored by the late Rep. Lea Fite. Closing the gap in coverage of the Alabama Medicaid Breast and Cervical Cancer Treatment Act, the bill ended eight years of exclusion based only on where a woman was diagnosed.

Because of the group’s success with the passage of HB147, David J. Pollay included Steel Magnolias in his book, The Law of the Garbage Truck. He also named Steel Magnolias as the recipient of the First International Law of the Garbage Truck Award. Since his book was released, Steel Magnolias has been working to schedule an event that would include Pollay.

Such an event will be realized Thursday, Nov. 17, with the RMC/Steel Magnolias “Celebrate Life” program at Classic on Noble. The event starts with appetizers and a reception for Pollay at 6 p.m., followed by dinner at 6:45, musical entertainment by Dr. Dave Roberts, and a high-energy, motivational program by Pollay. This promises to be a fun evening, in large part due to the efforts of David Mashburn, Derek Conrad Brown, Becky Tiner and Debra Moore.

For tickets (only $25!), contact lenora@steelmagnoliasinc.org, or call 256-231-8827. For more information about Steel Magnolias, visit www.steelmagnoliasinc.org or look for the group on Facebook.

To share your news with Small Talk, contact Annette Maddox at starsmalltalk@yahoo.com.

Save the Date

As you may have heard, Jacksonville State University’s Marching Southerners are traveling to London next month to lead the city’s New Year’s Day parade. Band members have been working extra hard (between practices, classes, jobs and other activities) to raise money for their trip, but they need our help to make it a reality.

Classic on Noble is sponsoring a “March to London” benefit dinner on Sunday, Dec. 4 at 6 p.m. at JSU’s Stadium Tower (Club Level, 5th floor). For only $25, you can enjoy a spectacular meal, and your money will help the Marching Southerners make it across the pond for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Call Sherlyn McWhorter at 256-239-5729 or email her at smcwhorter@firsteducatorscu.com for more information.