Breast Cancer Fashion Show set for Feb. 2
Jan. 12—In 2015, Mitzi Antonio had everything going for her. She was a mom to a 5-year-old and a newlywed, a Ph.D. student and an agent with the real life NCIS (Naval Crime Investigation Service).
The family had just relocated from Italy to Hawaii. Her skies were blue and her horizons were clear, until a routine doctor's visit changed it all.
"I turned 40, and we had just moved to Hawaii. I finally found a female doctor who I loved. My mom is a nurse here, so I'd been told all my life that when you turn 40, you get a mammogram. When I mentioned it, the doctor said we could wait as the guidelines have changed," she said. "But during the exam, she found a lump and then I felt it."
From there, it was straight to a biopsy, which proved a harrowing experience. And the results were even more so — it was cancer. Even with Antonio's upbeat attitude, it was — of course — an incredibly difficult time.
She endured six months of chemotherapy to shrink the tumor so it could be removed. Afterward, she went through radiation every week for a full year. It took a massive toll on her, physically, mentally and emotionally.
"I think the hardest thing was that I still wanted to have more children ... and after a lot of testing and discussion, I wasn't going to be able to do that," she said. "Losing my hair was also hard. I had hair down to my waist. My son cried and asked if he was going to lose his hair."
During her treatment, Antonio kept friends and family, who lived 1,000 miles away, updated via CaringBridge and Facebook accounts. One reason she felt compelled to share her journey was to help other women who might be treading the same road.
"I've always been open about my cancer journey. I wanted to share what I was going through so they wouldn't be scared. A lot of people reached out to me to say that my story affected them. Some of them made appointments with their doctor because a lot of people don't go every year like we should," she said.
As someone who seeks answers, Antonio decided to undergo testing to try to better understand how the cancer developed.
"I mean, I had no family history of it. After I was diagnosed, I did genetic testing and found that I had a rare immune system gene that was dormant," she said.
"But as a special agent, I went into a lot of toxic places in Italy. In fact, I was one of seven agents that came out of Italy with some form of cancer. It was an environmental hazard that triggered this gene."
Thankfully, Antonio made to the other side. After treatment, her job brought her back to home to the Golden Isles. That's where she ran into one of her high school teachers, Rhonda Barlow, who is also a breast cancer survivor.
"I ran into her and Peggy Tuten at First Friday. That's when they asked me if I'd like to be in the (American Cancer Society's) fashion show," she said. "I said sure, I'll do anything to help raise awareness."
She will join eight other local survivors for annual American Cancer Society Breast Cancer Fashion Show this year. It's slated to begin at 11:30 a.m. Feb. 11 at Sea Palms, 515 N. Windward Drive,
St. Simons Island.
Lunch will be served along with a silent auctions and raffles. But the main event is cheering on the models.
For Joy Cook, the event chair, that's the best part of the day.
"I feel like the fashion show is a celebration of life. I think that's certainly true for the models, but they also give hope to a lot of other people who may be going through cancer ... not just breast cancer," she said.
A cancer survivor herself, Cook knows how important that can be. It's why she's put all of her energy into organizing the event since she joined in 2013.
"I started off volunteering in the office at of the American Cancer Society. I was asked if I could chair the event in 2013 ... I've done it every year since then," Cook said.
"We start planning it at least six months in advance. We decide when we're going to have it and start asking for donations and sponsorships. We're so blessed that Glynn County steps forward to help us every year."
