RICHMOND, Va. -- Tracy Sears was 38 years old and pregnant with her third child when a doctor told her she had invasive cervical cancer. Tracy, a CBS 6 reporter since 2000, has decided to speak out about her battle with cancer in an effort to help, comfort and educate other women who may find themselves in similar circumstances.
"For me that low point [in the cancer journey] came in March during my second surgery," Tracy said in a story scheduled to air Thursday night on CBS 6 News at 11.
"[That is] when I had to give birth six weeks early to undergo a radical hysterectomy," she said. "My baby, whose tiny lungs were not quite developed, struggled to breath and was put on a ventilator. My guilt was overwhelming."
"My baby, whose tiny lungs were not quite developed, struggled to breath and was put on a ventilator. My guilt was overwhelming."
Tracy's cervical cancer and breast cancer, which Emmy-award winning CBS 6 audio operator Yvonne Libron is in the midst of battling, are two of the most common and, if not caught, deadliest forms of cancer that affect women worldwide.
Yvonne Libron
Thanks to early detection screenings, the death rates for both cancer have gone down dramatically over the years. But now some in the medical community fear new screening guidelines could make it harder for some women to catch the cancer early.
In addition to Tracy and Yvonne sharing their personal health stories, Tracy will explore those recent screening guideline changes in hopes of helping other women.
Please join us for Tracy's emotional and informative story -- Thursday on CBS 6 News at 11.
