Hometown Hero: Beating breast cancer

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) - Ebony Linton is an example of just how unexpected a breast cancer diagnosis can be.

“The mammogram bus came out to my job, and I didn’t think anything of it. I just got it, just to get it,” Linton said.

A month later, Linton’s hard-to-find cancer was diagnosed after more imaging, an MRI and an ultrasound.

“Not only did they find one spot, but they also found three,” she said.

And a year-long fight had begun.

“At that time, they didn’t say anything about treatments. They said because I was having a double mastectomy, I wouldn’t need treatments. I was excited. Then boom, the week before Christmas, they said you have to do four rounds of aggressive chemo because I’m at a high risk for re-occurrence,” Linton said.

During a lingering pandemic, she had to go to those appointments by herself.

“It added a lot because my wife was not there to be with me through the most challenging parts, which was mainly my treatments,” she said.

But Ashley Linton made sure, Ebony, never felt alone.

“I just made up my mind that my wife was going to fight. If she wasn’t going to fight, I was going to fight for her because I wasn’t about to let cancer defeat her,” Ashley Linton said.

Ebony fought her cancer as aggressively as doctors at the Lewis Cancer and Research Pavilion treated it, returning to work at the port in January while still receiving chemo.

“By the grace of God, I did not miss one day. I did my treatments, took my days off that I needed to recoup, went back to work like nothing happened,” Linton said.

Then in March, the moment all cancer patients hope for arrived and it was the one appointment the Lintons were able to attend it together.

“When she rang that bell, it was like a weight had gotten lifted off of my shoulders for her.”

And this October, during Breast Cancer Awareness Month, evenings moments will be a lot more relaxing for Linton since she has gone from frightened cancer patient to grateful cancer survivor.

And she moves forward with one reminder of her fight that she now wears as a point of pride.

“My hair never came back. So, now I have to rock a baldy. I’m OK with it, everyone at work loves it, my wife loves it. She says to her it just shows that I’m bold, this is what you do. This is a part of it. Once you beat it, regardless of if your hair grows back or not, you still stand up with your head held high because you overcame that hurdle. You jumped that hurdle, you did that. I did that.”

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