Judy

Judy has been married to her wonderful husband Bill for 46 years. They have 3 sons, 5 grandchildren, and 5 great-grandchildren. Judy loves her hometown of Massillon. Five years ago, she started Classy Glass & Treasures to sell unique and vintage items.

In 2005, Judy was 50 years old and teaching fitness classes when she found a small lump in her left breast. She was diagnosed with breast cancer and had a double mastectomy with silicone implants. Twenty years later, one of her implants ruptured.

Judy says, “My first thought was to just get the implants out, but I wasn’t ready to go flat, so I made the decision to have a DIEP flap with Dr. Shayda Mirhaidari earlier this year.”

She advises other women to research their breast reconstruction options and to be in touch with support groups, friends, family members, and their church family.

“This will not happen overnight,” Judy says. “Be or learn patience, have hope, and pray.”

She feels blessed and thankful at 71 years old to have come through these surgeries, adding, “I feel like a woman—a brave one!” Judy received a lot of this strength from her mother—a two-time breast cancer survivor. Her sister Dee Dee is also a survivor.

Judy chose to walk the Pink Runway to celebrate being cancer-free and to show that women can be productive and beautiful even in their 70s.