“To me, hope is a light in times of darkness and uncertainty.  It is a feeling of trust in a different kind of outcome.  Hope is an optimistic desire.  Hope comes from our hearts, not our heads.” 

With two young children, playdates and Play-Doh were part of everyday life for Julie Buie.  Her diagnosis of Stage 3 breast cancer came as quite a surprise, given there was no family history.  Fortunately, Julie had the amazing support of family, friends and the knowledge of a rich team of medical providers.  Julie shared that she trusted and relied on God and knew that He was with her every step of her journey.

 She remembered seeing a quote from Tom Bodett a few years ago where he said, “A person needs three things to be truly happy in this world- someone to love, something to do, and something to hope for.”  Julie goes on to say, “I am a blessed and happy woman to say that I have someone to love.  I have something to do as I spend my days helping to raise my children, and through work I help other young families raise their children.  And I am filled with hope through my work with Earlier.org.” 

As a breast cancer survivor, Julie believes that life is a gift and she’s extremely grateful.  She expressed without pause that she needed a whole community of faithful family, friends, neighbors, and survivors to help her through this journey.

Julie is an eleven-and-a-half-year survivor.