Brandy Burton paused for a moment as she reflected on the past year of her mother’s life.
“She’s been on a real journey,” Burton said.
In May of last year, Dawn Hudson was diagnosed with triple negative left breast cancer, an aggressive form of the illness. The diagnosis came unexpectedly, even more than the usual shock one goes through when learning of cancer. It had gone undetected by a mammogram Hudson had undergone just prior to going to get checked again; she went to be re-checked after she found a lump under her arm.
The cancer had progressed to stage 3, meaning the cancer has grown extensively, invaded nearby tissues and likely spread to lymph nodes. The Luling woman would need major surgery as well as chemotherapy. A treatment plan was put in place – it would span almost the entire year of 2024.
“There were a lot of ups and downs,” Burton said. “Sometimes things weren’t going as planned, but we all just supported her and cheered her on.”
In June, Hudson began chemotherapy – the most taxing part of the journey Burton referred to. But those travels down an often scary road came to an end when she was able to ring the bell in December after completing the treatment.
“They said things look really good,” Burton said. “They took out some of her lymph nodes and said none show any sign of cancer in her body. She’s still going through radiation as a preventative measure. There’s always the risk of blood clots, all kinds of different things … but things look good.”
Hudson went through a major surgery in January to remove any remaining cancer cells. She has had a double mastectomy to help ensure the cancer doesn’t return.
“We lost someone in our family in a similar situation, where it came back,” Burton said. “We didn’t want to take the risk.”
A longtime bus driver with the St. Charles Parish public school district, Hudson has been unable to work following her surgery – she continued working during her chemotherapy treatment, but her activity has had to be limited as she recovers from surgery. She’s exhausted her time off from the job as well, which prompted Burton to set up a GoFundMe page for her mother (titled “Please support Dawn’s journey conquering breast cancer”).
And Hudson has been embraced by so many in the community. More than $3,800 has been donated through the page so far to help offset expenses until she can return to work.
“She has a lot of support,” Burton said. “A whole lot of support, a lot of people who know her and who love her. She’s helped a lot of people. She’s a very important part of her church community. She’s been in the musical world and sings with some local artists. And a lot of people who have had cancer themselves have stepped up right beside her.
“She’s a very independent person and an honest person, and I think they know that if she asks for help, she really needs it – and they want to help her. A lot of people have called me and asked if they can share this fundraiser. They want to support her on her journey, because she’s been there for others.”
