Westmoreland is partnering with breast cancer survivors, South Lincoln Medical Center and Wyoming Cancer Resource Services for an event unveiling the new bright pink 240-ton haul truck bed to be used at the mine in support of breast cancer awareness. On Thursday, Feb. 8, at 6:00 p.m. at the Kemmerer mine maintenance shop, attendees are encouraged to wear pink as they come enjoy refreshments, see the new truck and visit with breast cancer survivors.

The South Lincoln Medical Center mammography and radiology department and Wyoming Cancer Resource Services will also be at the event to educate about the importance of early cancer detection.

The Gazette talked with local breast cancer survivors who will attend the event to hear their stories and learn about why it’s important to be educated about breast cancer and early detection.

Sabrina Montgomery is a Kemmerer resident and breast cancer survivor who finished her last chemotherapy treatment three years ago.

“I found the lump myself,” Montgomery said. “When that happens, it’s usually progressed pretty far. My cancer was stage 3A, and I was only 42 years old.”

Montgomery had eight sets of chemotherapy treatments and 30 radiation treatments. At the same time, her son Brody, who has Down Syndrome, was in the hospital for a heart condition and treatment of a serious respiratory infection.

“My son was one of the reasons I fought and didn’t just sit around feeling sorry for myself,” Montgomery said. “The nurses reminded me that sometimes you just have to put yourself first. I had to take care of myself so that I could take care of my son.”

Montgomery was featured on the Today Show in 2015. Her daughter wrote to Kathy Lee Gifford and Hoda Kotb telling of her mom’s strength through an incredible trial.

“I remember being on the show and wondering aloud why they were featuring me, because I was just doing what any other mother would do,” Montgomery said. “Hoda told me that my one voice could convince any woman who turns on the T.V. or looks at the newspaper to keep fighting and know they’re not alone.”

Montgomery said when she was being treated for cancer and her son was also sick, she would walk the tunnel between Salt Lake City’s Primary Children’s Hospital, where her son was, and the Huntsman Cancer Center to do her radiation.

“I’ve survived a lot,” Montgomery said. “Sometimes you just have to laugh your way through it. I fought for my girls, because they needed to see that sometimes you get pushed down but you still get up. I also had the incredible support of my husband and the community at Westmoreland.”

Montgomery’s husband is a supervisor at the Westmoreland mine. She said the mine helped her family by being generous with days off and offering support during her and her son’s treatments.

Montgomery said the Westmoreland event is important for the community because it shows support for breast cancer survivors and offers essential education about cancer resources.

“There’s no reason to go through this by yourself,” Montgomery said.

Montgomery participated in the Susan B. Komen walk in Salt Lake City last year. She said the “more than pink” motto of the walk has inspired her.

“Breast cancer affects your whole family and the whole community,” Montgomery said.

“There’s a lot of pink out there, and it really does show unity and support for survivors who have fought so hard to be here.”

Leslie Burris is a breast cancer survivor who was diagnosed in December of 2011.

“I’m here because of early detection,” Burris said. “If I wasn’t aware of my body and hadn’t been going every year for mammograms, I could very well be a different statistic.”

“Most women’s breast cancer is estrogen-fed,” Burris said. “If you don’t find it early, the estrogen just keeps feeding the cancer.”

Burris worked in clinical billing and accounts payable at South Lincoln Medical Center all throughout her cancer treatments. She had four sets of chemotherapy and six weeks of radiation.

Burris said the new pink truck and the Westmoreland breast cancer awareness event is a huge step for the community.

“I think it’s a great thing the mine is doing; making husbands aware that their wives need these checkups. The more awareness that’s out there, the better off all women are,” Burris said. “Don’t let young age or lack of a family history of cancer deter you from getting exams.”

Burris said she was lucky to have a big support system during her treatments — including family, friends and her work community.

“When you hear the word cancer, it’s devastating,” Burris said. “It changes us — now I’m a survivor. I don’t want people to have to go through what I went through. It wasn’t fun. You come out of it more appreciative and more aware of what your body is telling you.”

Tammy Krell was diagnosed with breast cancer in November of 2017. She is the education coordinator and the employee health coordinator at South Lincoln Medical Center.

Krell said after she had her annual mammogram, she received a call back that they had found a spot. She had an ultrasound, consulted with a radiologist who comes to Kemmerer, had a biopsy, and found out she had tested positive for cancer.

“Personally, I never thought I would get breast cancer,” Krell said. “I even have a long family history of cancer, but it was still a shock when it came up positive.”

Krell said if she would have waited much longer to have the exam that found her breast cancer, it could have spread to her lymphnodes and necessitated chemotherapy.

“I was lucky enough to just have a lumpectomy,” Krell said. “I start radiation on Monday, and then I should be clear, because it was detected early.”

Krell said she encourages women who may neglect their yearly exams to use her story as a cautionary tale.

“Breast cancer is so curable with early detection,” Krell said. “Even if you think you don’t need an exam, you do.”

Tammy’s husband is Dr. Christopher Krell, the Chief of Medical Staff at South Lincoln Medical Center. He credits yearly mammograms as essential to early breast cancer detection.

“Her cancer was only 6 mm, which usually means it’s too small to detect on a normal breast exam,” Dr. Krell said. “Studies are showing that mammograms are really the only way to detect these cancers early.”

Deborah Bassett is a regional program manager for Wyoming Cancer Resource Services, a division of the Wyoming Cancer Coalition. She will also be at the Westmoreland breast cancer awareness event.

“I do whatever I can to help people in my county learn about and get the services they need,” Bassett said.

Bassett mentioned that her organization offers free screening programs for breast cancer, cervical cancer and colon cancer.

“These programs are free to those who qualify, so usually people without insurance,” Bassett said. “They are an incredible resource I think everyone should know about.”

“I know the hospital has a great radiologist,” Bassett said. “If you catch it while it’s small, you can avoid cancer and the awful things that go along with that.”

Bassett praised the Westmoreland event for providing essential cancer awareness and education to the community.

“This gets the info in front of people,” Bassett said. “These are things we don’t like to think about normally, and we put them out of our mind, but at awareness events you can’t ignore what you need to learn.”