Cancer survivor shares her story with others during yearly conference

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) - During cancer survivor month, we’re hearing how one woman says her unstoppable faith helped her become cancer free.

“My desire was to live.”

Living now has a new meaning for Sandra Stevens Smalls after developing a cough that didn’t seem to go away in 2013.

“It came out that I had stage three Hodgkin Lymphoma and I went through twelve rounds of Chemotherapy.”

12 rounds but she didn’t get the news she hoped for. Instead her doctor at the J.C. Lewis Cancer and Research Pavilion told her...

“It’s still stage three cancer and the condition is it’s inoperable and we can not get to it because it’s so close to her chest,” Smalls said.

So she underwent a stem cell transplant at Atlanta’s Emory Hospital with a 50/50 success rate and more Chemotherapy.

While she wanted to give up several times, Smalls said she encouraged herself.

“I know you don’t feel good but do you want to live? and if you want to live, you’ve got to sit on this machine for four and a half hours and get your treatment.”

And it paid off.

“On Dec. 31, 2014, I found out that I was cancer free God had given me another chance on life.”

And now she shares her life story with others through her book and interactive workbook called The Unstoppable Faith Movement tackling fear, anxiety and you guessed it...faith.

“And it’s just a book that you can actively fill out the pages, write where your faith is at and write steps of how to increase your faith.”

She also hosts The Unstoppable Faith conference every year with survivors, pastors and vendors. This years event open to survivors and people just wanting encouragement is on September 16th.

“I’m walking in victory now because I’m encouraging other people that yes, you may get a cancer diagnosis. That does not mean death.”

Beating the odds, and encouraging others to do the same.

For more information on her conference and book, visit her website and Facebook.

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