MEMPHIS, Tenn. — After beating cancer, Tracy Gallagher and Ashleigh Parker are returning what was given to them.
“I know what that feels like I know what it’s like to have a stranger to drop something off at your doorstep and how encouraging that is,” said Tracy.
“Sometimes strangers we didn’t even know that gave us gifts, texts, messages, cards,” added Ashleigh.
In 2018, Tracy learned she had breast cancer following a routine mammogram.
“I just assumed I was not going to make it,” she said.
She went through chemo and surgeries leaning on faith to guide her.
“Is it His will that I’m not going to make it? Because we’ve seen so many wonderful people who have passed away from cancer,” she said.
Months later, her friend Ashleigh discovered she had colon cancer.
“Those conversations with doctors when somebody tells you you have stage 4 cancer when you’re 48, a wife and you’re a mom of four, and busy and taking care of everybody, all of a sudden everything comes to a screeching halt,” she said.
Fighting through the dark days, they came together to help others. Their non-profit is called Desoto Hope and their goal is to support and encourage those affected by cancer.
After hand picking the items in the hope baskets, the pair drop them off to the cancer fighters’ home or to a cancer clinic.
Last month, they even hosted an event called Light Up The Lake where they lit over 700 lanterns in memory or in honor of those battling cancer.
“We had a few ladies who had chemo that Thursday and they were sick as a dog, but they got in the car because they wanted to come. They wanted to come and see and as they were driving through the lake, they saw survivors,” said Tracy.
Hope is what our fighters need to see to know many can relate to what they’re going through.
