Breast cancer survivor visits all 50 states to raise awareness

From Alabama to Wyoming, Agnes Judge has visited a cancer center in every state and the District of Columbia.

Her quest to visit all 50 states stemmed from a moment that too many women know all too well – being told that she had breast cancer.

Judge was diagnosed at MUSC Hollings Cancer Center in 2019. She underwent a double mastectomy, and then decided she wanted to do something to raise awareness.

“I needed to do more than just raise awareness in my hometown. I wanted to raise and spread awareness everywhere. So I started my nationwide cancer tour about two years ago. I traveled to every state, including the capital, D.C. It was so beautiful. This trip was more than just inspiring. It was therapeutic for me,” she said. “It let me know that I wasn’t alone.”

As Judge traveled from cancer center to cancer center, she did more than raise awareness. She also made a donation at each stop to support patients.

Judge saved her last stop for home. She visited Hollings in February, where she reconnected with her cancer surgeon, Mark Lockett, M.D., and reconstructive surgeon, Fernando Herrera, M.D.

She also made a donation to the Hollings Patient Support Fund. This critical fund provides financial assistance to those who qualify to help to pay for transportation, lodging near the cancer center and even groceries or child care – non-medical needs that are essential for patients to be able to attend their medical appointments.

 

Lockett noted that Judge stands out among his patients.

“We take care of a lot of breast cancer patients, and it’s wonderful to see how well she’s doing. But most of our patients don’t go to cancer centers in all 50 states and Washington, D.C., and raise money and give back,” he said.

Turning to Judge, he added, “While you’ve thanked me and the team a lot for the care that we provided you, I just want to say thank you for all that you’re doing.”

“We take a lot of pride in helping patients through cancer management and treatment, which is a challenge, and getting great long-term outcomes is what keeps us going. And you’ve contributed to that team like a health care provider because there are women out there who are going to get cancer discovered sooner and treated because of what you’ve done. So I want to say thank you for saving lives.”

Judge implored women to get their annual mammograms. With all the new treatments that have been developed, women shouldn’t be afraid of a breast cancer diagnosis, she said.

“Cancer is a diagnosis, not a death sentence,” she said.

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