Renae Brown, a 1989 WHS graduate, is a fighter and she knows that, in her current situation of fighting breast cancer, she’ll take nothing else but being a winner.

“I went to Wenatchee [High School]. I’m going to fight this,” she said.

Yet she won’t be fighting alone. Nominated by an anonymous Wenatchee High School student, Brown was chosen as the 2014 Mr. Panther Beneficiary because “she is a kind and generous lady who is deserving of some support,” according to the source.

“I hope that this will spread awareness about cancer,” Brown said. “Women need to be aware of themselves and get themselves checked regularly, no matter what age they are. If I hadn’t been aware of my body, I wouldn’t have realized my situation until much later.”

Brown is a 43-year-old woman with stage one breast cancer. She was diagnosed on April 14, and her insurance did not cover the cost of surgeries and therapy needed to rid her body of the tumors and threat of recurrent cancer.

“[The doctor] called me on the phone and told me I had tested positive for cancer. My reaction was to collapse on the kitchen floor, and I’m lucky my family was there, really,” Brown said. “I was in a daze for two days at least, kind of not functioning. I’m pretty positive, though. I have a good cancer team — my doctor said this type of cancer will be a walk in the park, that I’ll just need to take precautions and watch myself — and a supportive family who loves me.”

Brown has three children to provide for and had recently remarried during the end of February.
Her family also extends to more than just her biological children as Brown always has her home open for the friends of her sons.

“There are at least seven kids who call me ‘Mom’ and probably many more,” Brown said. “I love having kids around, all kids. I love hearing their stories and having their good spirits in my home. It’s a joy to my heart.”

Brown’s mother had lung and liver cancer, discovered at stage four. There is no stage five for cancer, but Brown’s mother “had faith and beat it.” Because of this, Brown has a personal history with cancers, but not breast cancer.

“If so many people in your family have breast cancer, or even a certain type of cancer, you can get something called genetic testing where [the doctors] can find out whether you’re susceptible to that type of cancer or not,” Brown said. “Since no one in my family had had breast cancer, I didn’t get genetic testing.”

The first bill from Brown’s treatment — testing and results — was $2,000. Brown has to pay that money directly out of pocket, but the Mr. Panther fundraising events will help with the rest of the costs.

“I hope to raise up to $3,000,” senior Ali Marboe, a WHS ASB Activities Coordinator, said. “I’m not sure how much has been raised in the past, but [I think the amount of money I hope to raise] is doable. I want to know everything we do goes towards benefitting someone in our community who needs it. The [Mr. Panther contestants] have put a lot of work into making this performance and I hope that everyone enjoys it as much as we have.”

The community rallying behind Brown was a shock to her. “I couldn’t help but think ‘Wow, I live in a community that really does pull together,” Brown said. “It was heartwarming to hear that someone heard about me and cared enough to say something. This cancer is just a bump in the road to me. My support team is awesome and very strong.”

Brown’s surgery is set to take place on May 12, just three days before Mr. Panther on May 15.

“I’m going to get what’s sort of called a ‘lumpectomy,’ ” Brown said. “There are two lumps of cancer and I’ll get those removed, then I have four weeks of radiation, five days a week.”

Brown is optimistic for her future and that of others.

“[Cancer patients], stay strong, stay positive, and have faith,” Brown said. “Believe that God only puts you in the situations He knows you can handle — I have my family, I have great doctors, and now I have Wenatchee High School students. I can handle this.”

Brown “could not say enough” how important it is to be careful about yourself. “This can be for anyone, but it’s mostly for you girls out there: you always want to be aware of your body. Check for things that don’t seem like they should be there,” Brown said. “Respect and know yourself, because if you don’t then other people won’t either.”

“The first thing I want to do [after the surgery], the first thing I really want to do is rally my family and go on a family vacation,” Brown said. “Family is so important. No matter how bad your situation is, you always have family around even if they aren’t blood.”