Amelia County breast cancer survivor's message to others: 'Get all your checkups'

AMELIA COUNTY, Va.-- This weekend, hundreds of people from across Central Virginia will join together to raise money for breast cancer research.

The annual Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk will be held Sunday at Libbie Mill Midtown in Henrico, but one of the groups that is part of the larger walk is actually holding their event in Amelia County.

64-year-old breast cancer survivor Juanita Tee is helping to organize Amelia's Making Strides Walk Saturday morning at 9 a.m. at the Grange on Richmond Road. Her team is "Lifting the Way."

Juanita was diagnosed with breast cancer ten years ago but says she never once doubted her recovery.

"I knew I was going to ring that bell," she exclaimed.

In 2014, Juanita got the good news that she was cancer-free.

She now emphasizes how important it is for women to get their annual check-ups, especially those living in rural areas.

"The rural communities are the worst because people don't think they need to, but you have to," she noted. "I go yearly, and I've been doing that ever since I've been old enough. And you just don't know how quickly things can change in your body. And that's happened to me. I had been fine, and then this. And it's like what? Where'd this come from?' So, you need to get all your checkups, go to your doctor when you don't feel good. It may be nothing. But it's worth that co-pay if you have to, just to have the peace of mind."

Juanita says the walk's being done in Amelia because many rural residents may not have the means to get to Richmond.

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