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Nominated by Teresa Jolivette
I would like to nominate my friend and coworker, Tracey, for The Courage is Contagious Award. Tracey is a beautiful, busy mother of two girls, ages 10 and 7, and wife of Tim. She is an RN, a PTO leader-extraordinaire at a local elementary school, and an active member of her church. Tracey is also a cancer survivor. She was diagnosed one year ago with breast cancer. She has undergone treatment for the last year, including multiple surgeries, chemo, and radiation. She has been an example of strength, courage, and grace through it all.
Tracey is one of those women who puts the needs of others first. She was very concerned about how this whole experience of cancer was going to affect her two young daughters. Upon learning that her treatment plan involved chemo and the subsequent expected hair loss, sh
e had her beautiful long, ginger hair cut short. She then asked her girls and her husband, Tim, to help her shave her head. They even “decorated” her newly-bald head with many different colors—all of this to help with the transition of her “new look” and make it less scary for her family. This is just one example of her giving heart.
Tracey continued to work as much as she could during treatment. She has been a wonderful nurse to many, many patients during her career. Her courage and tenacity to power through it all is awe-inspiring. She chose to be very open about her cancer experience. Tracey has a positive energy that you just can’t ignore. Through her example, we all learned to shine a little brighter and smile a little bigger. She has had her ups and downs, as most cancer patients do, but we could always find her with a bright smile on her face. She is a shining example of a woman who can muscle through the tough stuff with grace and still teach us all to stay strong.
Tracey is now beginning the journey back to regaining her physical strength. Restorative yoga is her new workout. She also enjoys working out with the LiveStrongTM program. I think Tracey is the perfect nominee for The Courage is Contagious Award. She is kicking cancer to the curb with her ever-positive finesse. I know a wonderful yoga retreat on Madeline Island will give Tracey the strength to continue on her journey of healthy, joyful living.
