When Brittany Hawkins of Elizabethtown, Kentucky, was diagnosed with lung cancer at age 36, her world changed in an instant. Like so many patients facing a cancer diagnosis, she found herself stepping into a chapter she never expected to write. She was initially diagnosed after a stroke in July of 2021 that led to the hospitalization that found her cancer.
The days that followed were filled with tests, biopsies, waiting, and uncertainty. Doctors worked to identify the genetic driver behind her cancer, searching for answers that would help guide treatment. While waiting for results, Brittany received an initial round of treatment. Soon afterward, she learned that her cancer was driven by a RET alteration, opening the door to targeted therapy that offered new hope.
Her journey has not been easy. Over the course of treatment, Brittany has faced radiation, medication changes, broken ribs, recurring lung complications, multiple pneumothoraxes, and countless procedures. She endured seventeen thoracenteses before eventually receiving a catheter that allowed her to manage excess fluid from home. Through every setback, she has continued moving forward—one day, one treatment, and one victory at a time.
Yet when Brittany reflects on what has carried her through, she rarely starts by talking about medicine.
She talks about people.
She talks about her online army—friends she sees every day and others she has never met in person, all united by encouragement, understanding, and hope. She talks about the RET-positive community that became an unexpected family, offering practical advice, shared experiences, and reassurance during the hardest moments.
Through webinars, support groups, online forums, and conversations with fellow patients, Brittany immersed herself in learning about her disease. She jokes that she became a “RETexpert,” but that knowledge became a powerful tool. It allowed her to advocate for herself, ask informed questions, and actively participate in decisions about her care.
Cancer also changed the way she sees life.
“Slow down and be present,” she says. “Life is not meant to be lived at the pace we’ve known.”
One piece of wisdom has guided her from the very beginning.
When Brittany was first diagnosed, her father came to the hospital. Years earlier, he had lost his wife—Brittany’s mother—to pancreatic cancer when she was only 41 years old. Having endured unimaginable heartbreak, he offered his daughter a simple but profound piece of advice:
“Stay on the page you’re on.”
Those words became Brittany’s compass.
Life, she says, is a book. Cancer is a chapter—not the entire story. Rather than worrying about what might happen next, she learned to focus on the page in front of her. To give today her attention. To find joy where she could. To keep turning pages without skipping ahead.
That mindset has helped her face fear, uncertainty, and loss. Like many cancer patients, Brittany has mourned fellow fighters whose journeys ended too soon. Those losses can make anyone question their own future. But she reminds herself—and others—that every story is different.
“Their story isn’t your story.”
There is strength in community, but comparison can steal hope. Brittany encourages others to fight their own battle, draw inspiration from fellow patients, and remember that no two journeys are exactly alike.
Throughout it all, she has remained grounded in gratitude. She focuses on the blessings she can find, celebrates treatments that have worked for her, and protects her energy by resting when her body needs it. Her faith provides a deep sense of peace, reminding her that even when circumstances feel uncertain, she does not have to carry the weight of the future alone.
Perhaps one of the greatest sources of motivation is her son. Diagnosed when he was just six years old, he has walked this journey alongside her. Brittany credits support programs like Camp Kesem, along with therapy and a strong community, for helping him remain happy, resilient, and thriving despite the challenges their family has faced.
Today, Brittany’s story is not defined by cancer. It is defined by courage, faith, connection, and perseverance. It is a story about choosing hope even when the road is difficult. About finding purpose in adversity. About learning that strength is not the absence of struggle—it is continuing forward despite it.
For anyone facing a diagnosis, Brittany offers this reminder:
Stay on the page you’re on.
You do not have to write the entire story today.
Focus on this chapter. This moment. This page.
And keep turning pages, one day at a time.
Brittany is Co-Chair of our Community Advisory Board and we are happy to have her as a part of the team!
