As a triple-negative breast cancer survivor, Regina Evans now knows and loves God in a more profound way. Yet, in lots of cases, such a terrifying and grueling ordeal could easily shake someone’s faith. But that’s not the case on this inspiring overcomer story.
For Regina, who relied on God through her entire cancer journey, each the highs and lows only served to strengthen and forge a fair more intimate relationship along with her Creator. Now, she shares her incredible story to encourage and encourage others of their faith!
Going On Her Dream Vacation
In mid-2023, Regina Evans of Virginia was preparing to go on a dream vacation to Israel, Jordan, and Egypt. Her husband had surprised her with the trip by giving her a cassette tape with the song “Two Tickets to Paradise” on it. When she opened it up, she found the itinerary for the trip.
Before they left on this epic anniversary trip, she went in for a mammogram. Two days before they left, she got a call from the doctor. “We’d really such as you to are available and we wish to take a more in-depth look,” they told her.
Regina wasn’t recent to such a response after a mammogram. She had issues with fibroadenomas previously, that are painless and benign breast tumors and was used to going back for a more in-depth look.
“I went on my trip considering every thing was going to be wonderful,” she told GodUpdates.
She Lit Up The Scanner
When returning to the United States, Regina Evans and her husband had a layover in Frankfurt, Germany. They needed to undergo security, and he or she considered delaying her appointment. However, when she went through security, she lit up their scanner. It was yellow on her right breast.
Although the doctors told her that shouldn’t have happened, for Regina, it was a miracle from God-the first one among many that might appear during her cancer journey. “You know God got my attention because that’s what made me keep the appointment,” she said.
At that appointment, she discovered that it was malignant. “There’s no way. It’s never malignant,” she recalled. But it was, and so they needed to biopsy it. That’s when Regina discovered she had Triple-negative breast cancer.
Diagnosed With Triple-Negative Breast Cancer
According to the American Cancer Society, Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) accounts for about 10-15% of all breast cancers. It tends to be more common in women younger than 40, although Regina was 50. This style of cancer tends to grow and spread faster than other varieties of breast cancer, has fewer treatment options, and has a worse prognosis.
Regina goes on to say that one of the best possibilities of fighting such a cancer are finding it early, getting it out, hammering it with chemotherapy and radiation, and hoping for one of the best.
Although the cancer had spread outside the tumor wall, it wasn’t really large yet, so Regina had probability of fighting it. The cancer grows by 1% a day, so looking back, the two-week trip may not have been one of the best idea. Regina, nonetheless, was still glad she went.
Regina Evans Would Need Surgery
After the diagnosis, Regina Evans would wish surgery. She would also need an MRI before she could have the surgery. And as much as she felt this needed to be fast-tracked, she was told it could take some time. And that each one cancer had priority, not only hers.
“I’m similar to God; please let me get a gap for surgery early,” she prayed. And the very next day, she got a call. There was an MRI appointment opening, so she took it. There was also a gap for surgery.
“God fast-tracked me,” she said. “This was miracle #2.”
During this time, it didn’t quite compute that she could die from this. And at first, she wasn’t going to inform anyone. Although her family knew and was praying for her, nobody else knew to achieve this. That’s when the verse, James 5:16, began going through her head.
The Verse Started Going Through Her Head
“The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.”
“I felt increasingly that God wanted me to share it with people individually that I knew were Christian and that might really pray for me,” Regina recalled. And that was when she bumped into a lady she knew from her old church, Patricia Bracey, a known prayer warrior.
Regina bumped into Patricia at Aldi, and the 2 women caught up. Regina then asked if Patricia would pray for her. And she did, right there in the course of the food market!
Later that very same day, Regina went to her neighbor’s house and told her what was happening. She also asked her to wish, and he or she did.
Both women had brought up oil, and its healing properties. When Regina went home she considered that verse again, “The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much” and wondered about its context in scripture so she looked up the chapter, James 5, and was startled to appreciate that it was about what to do when someone within the church was sick. And in James 5:14, it states, “Is any sick amongst you? let him call for the elders of the church; and allow them to pray over him, anointing him with oil within the name of the Lord:”
None of This Was a Coincidence
As she read this verse, she realized none of this may very well be a coincidence. She then called her pastor to ask him about it.
Later, people from church got here to her home, sat along with her for an hour and a half, covered her with oil, and prayed for her. “It was very beautiful,” she said.
Regina Evans had the surgery in July, where they removed the tumor, the tissue across the tumor, a few lymph nodes, and tissue samples in her chest wall. While waiting on the outcomes, she asked God to point out her what He wanted her to see in his word.
Jesus Rose From the Dead The Same Day Noah Landed On Ararat
That’s when she began flipping through the Bible and landed on Genesis 8:4, “And the ark rested within the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, on the mountains of Ararat.” This had her reflecting on why the seventh month, on the seventeenth day, was so necessary to God.
Although Jesus’ calendar differed from Noah’s, Jesus rose again on the day Noah landed on Ararat’s mountains. Not only that, Regina realized that her surgery was within the seventh month on the seventeenth day as well. Noah had a recent starting that day, and Christ’s death and resurrection gave us a recent starting in him.
“Lord, that is amazing!” she said. “Are you telling me I actually have a recent starting?”
Up until this point, Regina had been apprehensive about what would occur. She still had two daughters at home, ages 19 and 15. So when she felt that God was there, she felt such assurance. It was one more miracle in her cancer journey.
Regina Evans is Now a Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Survivor
Shortly after, she received her results from the surgery. No cancer cells were within the margins, lymph nodes, or tissue cells. Praise God!
Regina Evans was declared freed from cancer! She was in remission! She would still have to do chemotherapy and radiation based on the style of cancer it was. After ending chemo in December of last yr and radiation in February, aside from just a little little bit of neuropathy in her toes and feeling more drained than usual, she appears like she is doing pretty much.
“God healed me!” she exclaimed.
Before the cancer diagnosis, Regina had head knowledge that God loved her, but she at all times had doubts about whether he would forgive her. Although she was raised within the church, she didn’t follow Jesus as she must have and was saved at a later age. Today, she has that heart knowledge and has grown closer to Jesus through all of it. “I actually have such assurance now that I’m saved. That I’m loved!” she told GodUpdates.
She Doesn’t Worry About the Cancer Now
She doesn’t worry in regards to the cancer now or fear that it should come back. She doesn’t worry about every little symptom, which is a big blessing.
“I do know that God’s got it,” she says. “I do know that it should be his will and his plan, and that shall be okay. I do know where I’m going.”
Regina Evans encourages people to achieve out to those that are sick. “I appreciated every overture that folks gave to me…people were just so kind.”
As far as what advice she would give to those that could have just received the cancer diagnosis themselves? “Lean on Jesus,” she says. “Rely on him and just lean into him and trust him and call out to him. He’s the comfort.”
No matter how difficult life gets, God has a way of reminding us he’s there, walking beside us, at all times by our side. As we are able to see from Regina’s story as a triple-negative breast cancer survivor, keep praying and have faith that Jesus shall be there with you each step of the way in which.
Originally published on GodUpdates.com, shared with permission. Written by Julie Provost, see her other articles here on GodUpdates.
Featured Image Credit: Photos supplied by Regina Evans
