St. Charles Parish (WGNO) – 57-year-old Rhonda Jackson has spent the last 40 years in Norco. She’s raised her girls there and now helps raise her grandsons there. The distractions are good because this year she’s had to deal with an unwanted visitor that’s taking a toll on her body.
“I went for a routine, yearly mammogram and there was something there that wasn’t there last year,” says Jackson.
In June Rhonda Jackson was diagnosed with breast cancer. Weeks later she went in for a lumpectomy, and now she’s on her tenth round of chemo.
“I didn’t know what to expect. I just didn’t know,” explains Jackson, “I was mad. I was very mad, but everything is going great now.”
While this road has been rough, her daughters have made it interesting by putting mom at the center of a T-shirt campaign. The two have designed a shirt inspired by their mother. It’s a T-shirt that illustrates her struggle and her love for the Saints.
“They always say that no one fights cancer alone, and so I didn’t want her to doubt for a second that she was going to go through this alone or by herself. So that’s kind of how we started it and asked for support and asked people to send in pictures of themselves. You know, the first one came through, and we were crying,” explains Jackson’s youngest daughter Christy Zurcher.
What started out as a small campaign to help pay for some of Rhonda’s medical expenses has now gone worldwide. CafePress and tfund aren’t only printing the shirts they’re featuring Rhonda on their blog, plugging her story to all who log on. A story that reminds us to focus on what’s important.
“We need to take care of someone we love that is sick, so the little things don’t seem to matter as much,” explains Michelle Higgins.
“It feels like people are just aware of your situation, and they care. It feels good,” says Jackson.
Rhonda’s “Tackle Breast Cancer” T-shirts are available on tfund. The fundraiser closes out Thursday.
Rhonda hopes it reminds women to keep up with their health, with mammograms and with self-exams.
To purchase the Tackle Breast Cancer T-shirt click here.
To read the blog about Rhonda’s journey with breast cancer click here.
