Tammy was born in Las Cruces, NM, but grew up in Bloomfield. She has been married to the love of her life for 25 years and has two step-children. She has a great love of the outdoors, and her favorite hobbies include camping, nature photography, and growing flowers in her garden.

You may recognize Tammy from our virtual campaign in 2020—which helped create awareness for the San Juan Medical Foundation’s Cathy Lincoln Memorial Cancer Fund.

Tammy received the life-altering news that she had stage 1 melanoma in June of 2018. It started with a nickel-sized dark spot on her skin. She was sure it was nothing, so when her results came back, she was in shock.

Her treatment began with the initial spot being removed, along with the nearest lymph node. She had recurring satellite spots removed periodically, and she began different immunotherapies, reconstructive surgeries, radiation therapy and T-Vec injections. 

Tammy has drawn strength from her relationship with God, the support from family and friends, laughing often, and staying positive. Her message to the community is Do Not Wait! If you see something suspicious, get checked! 

A member of the Board of Directors for Presbyterian Medical Services, Melissa loves golfing, pottery, and volunteering with Meals on Wheels.

Above all else, she loves spending quality time with her family. Melissa has been married to her husband George for 40 years and has three sons, a daughter-in-law, and two amazing grandchildren.

Melissa was diagnosed with cancer on February 15, a few weeks after detecting a dense area during a routine mammogram. The news was devastating, but Melissa maintained her faith in God. 

Fortunately, since the cancer was detected early, she was able to undergo a successful lumpectomy and finished radiation by May.  

Melissa encourages all women to undergo annual testing and is forever grateful for the treatment she received.

Sheilah was born in Durango, Colorado, and raised in Lumberton, New Mexico. She comes from a small family but married into a big extended family, so she has a lot of love in her life. Her favorite hobbies are fishing, camping, and visiting casinos.

If you’re wondering where you’ve seen that beautiful smile before, Sheilah also joined us for our virtual campaign last year to bring awareness to women’s health in our community.

In May of 2019, Sheilah was diagnosed with stage IV squamous cell cancer (a form of cancer that forms on the skin or organs). She was diagnosed after finding a lump on her left side. When she first received the news, she was shocked, sad, and stressed, but felt the community's support right away. Her family was wonderful, one of her daughters acted as her nurse and cared for her during treatment, and her husband was her support and her rock. 

Sheilah's treatment process was a bit problematic, and she struggled through the radiation and chemotherapy. But the prayers and the support from the community were exceptionally helpful. What helped Sheilah the most was her relationship with God.

Sheilah's message is: Talk to Somebody! Especially those going through a difficult diagnosis or treatment. You will find great comfort in talking to someone who has been through a similar experience. Sheilah has even offered to give her personal phone number to anyone who needs a listening ear on their cancer journey.

Hayley is from right here in Farmington, where she enjoys spending time with her friends and family, who include her parents, sister, fiancé, and daughter. 

She is always up for new things, and that’s a trait she passed on to her daughter. They love embarking on adventures together.  

Hayley was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer earlier this year. The news left her shocked, speechless, and scared.

With the expertise of healthcare professionals and the consistent support of her loved ones, Hayley gathered the strength to continue with difficult treatment. She daydreams about her daughter and eagerly looks forward to their next adventure. 

Hayley encourages other women to get tested regularly and to never lose hope.

Tammy was born in Abilene, Texas. As a child, her parents moved the family to Farmington. She made a few more moves throughout her childhood, including Kayenta and Chinle, AZ, where she completed 13 years of her education on the Navajo Reservation. Her family later moved back to Farmington, where she finished out her remaining education.

Tammy has been married to her husband, a retired United Methodist pastor, for 34 years. They have three adult sons, who she speaks with nearly every day. Tammy recently retired from her 25-year career as a teacher. She is a lover of the outdoors. Her favorite hobbies are yard work, gardening, reading, walking, jogging, and listening to nature.

Tammy was diagnosed with Stage III Breast Cancer in May of 2019. After noticing a lump, she made an appointment. She was initially shocked by the tough news, but she had an incredible support network around her. She relied on her friends and family, as well as her church community. Her sister was a great help, responding to the initial diagnosis with "alright, let's do this and get this over with!" 

Tammy began chemotherapy in July of 2019 and had a total of 15 rounds of chemo. She then began 33 rounds of radiation therapy. Tammy's doctors gave her hope, and she found them invaluable throughout her treatment. Tammy received the news in February of 2020 that her cancer was in remission.

Tammy has a renewed energy, and is in the process of opening Encore Coffee—a coffee shop inspired by her second chance! 

Born and raised right here in Farmington, New Mexico, Gracia Evans enjoys dancing, attending concerts, and spending time with her family.

She loves "Glam Girl Fridays" with her cousins, weekly family dinner nights at her sister's house, and relaxing with her two sons. More than anything, she loves spending time with her three grandchildren.

Gracia was diagnosed with stage 0 Ductal Carcinoma in November of 2020.

Having lost her mother to breast cancer when she was just 15, Gracia was familiar with the impacts the disease can have on women and was justifiably terrified. Her mother was only fifty when she passed.

Blessed with the love, support, and prayers of her family and friends, and aided by the Cathy Lincoln Fund and some amazing healthcare professionals, Gracia is making great progress. 

Her message to the community is: There is help and support available—and early detection with yearly mammograms is so important.  

Originally from Colorado, Malissa moved to Farmington in Junior High and has lived there since. She’s been married to her husband James for thirty years and has two daughters, a son-in-law, and a grandson.

In addition to spending time with her beloved family, Malissa enjoys flower gardening, veggie gardening, and seasonal crafts.

Malissa was diagnosed with cervical cancer following an annual checkup and was overcome with anger, fear, and anxiety. 

She received concurrent chemo infusions and radiation therapy (5 chemo and 25 external beam radiation and 4 internal beam). The journey was challenging, but thanks to the support of family, friends, and coworkers, as well as the work of healthcare professionals, Malissa was able to pull through. 

Two months after her last session, a complete abdominal hysterectomy showed no cancer. 

Malissa encourages all women to get examined regularly.

Tracy was born and raised in Farmington and grew up with two sisters and one brother. She is married with two children, a 12-year-old son, and a 9-year-old daughter. She is a lover of nature, and all of her favorite activities involve being outdoors.

Tracy and her family have been advocates for the Cathy Lincoln Memorial Cancer Fund, and the good it does for women in our community. She was also one of our virtual models in last year’s campaign.

In August of 2019, when Tracy was just 35 years old, she was diagnosed with stage 2 breast cancer. She had found a lump a year before her diagnosis and had monitored it herself after her initial mammogram came back negative. The news devastated her, and she felt a lot of fear about what the future might hold.

Tracy started chemotherapy in September of 2019, which she continued to undergo for six months. In February of 2020, she had surgery and then continued with immunotherapy infusions. She has been very fortunate to have a great support network. Her husband and children have been her strength, as well as her physicians and healthcare providers.

Her advice to the community is to grow through what you go through. Reach out for support when you need it, and when you're having a rough day, never give up and stay active as much as you can.

Originally from Shiprock, New Mexico, Vanora is the youngest of three sisters. She has two sons in their twenties and a daughter-in-law.

She enjoys reading, crossword puzzles, and spending time with her family – long drives, going fishing, and eating at restaurants are some of their favorite activities. 

Vanora was diagnosed with stage 3 rectal cancer following a colonoscopy exam. She remembers feeling numb, then starting to cry.

Despite this, Vanora never lost faith. With the support of her family, she fought through chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery.

Her advice to others is to keep up with their yearly checkups and to never give up fighting. It may seem difficult at times, but it’s important to stay strong. 

Marilyn Turner was born and raised in Arizona as the eldest of seven sisters. Her husband Gary is from New Mexico. She has five children, two step-children, and twenty-two grandchildren.

When she isn’t spending time with family, Marilyn enjoys DIY craft projects, riding horses, and going on hunting trips with her husband.

After being diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis in 2018, Marilyn went in for a routine pap smear and heard the words nobody ever wants to hear: cancer.

She had a hysterectomy the following month, and a biopsy revealed that the cancer was more severe than initially thought. Marilyn and her family prayed, and by the grace of God, a PET scan revealed no further cancer.

Marilyn will never forget the wonderful doctors, nurses, and caregivers who supported her throughout her journey.

Her message to you today: Keep up with your yearly check-ups and NEVER GIVE UP!