With Grit and Grace: A Veteran's Knockout Fight Against Cancer

It was the start of a journey filled with vulnerability, bravery, and the relentless spirit of a U.S. Army Combat Medic Veteran and Ralph H. Johnson VA Health Care System health care professional, who would survive breast cancer not once, but twice. 

For Joy, the second cancer diagnosis wasn't just a battle—it was a journey into the depths of vulnerability, survival, and, ultimately, love. Her fellow VA colleagues quickly became her lifeline, with friends and strangers alike offering her support that went beyond anything she had expected. “I was in the hospital, barely holding it together, when a nurse I’d never met sat with me, took my hand, and wouldn’t let go,” she says, her voice cracking with emotion. “She called my family, helped me walk out to meet them, and even now, months later, she sends me a message every morning to remind me that I’m not alone.”

The shock was overwhelming, yet Joy faced it head-on, only this time, the battle would push her to her very limits. A surgery that was supposed to last five hours stretched into nearly 18 as complications arose. Her daughter, who had just returned from serving in the U.S. Navy, sat in a waiting room, praying for her mother to survive. “When I finally woke up, I couldn’t even look at myself. The therapy was gruesome, and I wanted to give up,” Joy admits, eyes brimming with tears. “But then a coworker came in, looked at me, and said, ‘These treatments are saving your life. You must keep going, for all of us.’ And I did.”

Throughout her battle, Joy's family proved to be an unwavering foundation of support. Her sister, a professor at Florida International University, left her life in Miami to be by Joy's side during treatment. Joy's decision to move to Charleston years earlier had become an unexpected blessing, allowing Joy to live near her parents during her cancer fight. "Having my family so close meant everything," Joy reflects. "My sister uprooting her life to be here, my parents opening their home, my daughter returning from the Navy – they created this cocoon of love around me. Sometimes, when the pain was too much to bear, just knowing that they were close by and would be here within minutes gave me strength to keep going."

Her colleagues and fellow Veterans became her anchor, creating a family she never knew she needed. They dressed in pink every Wednesday, filled the chemo clinic with laughter, and sat with her, shift after shift. “These are people I barely knew before my diagnosis. Some would slip away from their rounds just to sit with me for a few minutes. They didn’t let me go through a single treatment alone,” she says. “They held me up when I didn’t have the strength to stand.”

Joy’s doctor, Dr. Mark Lockett, remembers her as an engaged and relentless advocate for herself and others. “She made it her mission to know every detail about her treatments. It was as if she was fighting for something greater than just herself,” he says. And she was. Every day, Joy saw her patients as reflections of her own battle, and she drew strength from helping them fight theirs.

Through her pain, Joy has found a new purpose, a fierce drive to protect and inspire others facing similar battles. “I want every Veteran, every person, to know how important it is to get screened,” she says. “I almost didn’t make it through the second time. I want to spare others from that fear if I can.”

Dr. Lockett emphasizes the importance of vigilance in breast cancer screening, noting that while the VA has made significant strides in cancer care, early detection remains crucial. "The survival rates are high for early-stage breast cancer discovery.” 

Even now, Joy carries with her the scars and memories, each a reminder of the people who kept her alive. Her voice catches as she recalls the moments of kindness, the courage of her daughter by her side, and the nurses who held her hand through some of her darkest hours. “There were times I didn’t think I’d see tomorrow. And now, every day feels like a gift,” she whispers.

Today, as the Geriatrics and Extended Care Home Health Coordinator for the Ralph H. Johnson VA Health Care System, Smith uses her experience to help others, transforming her own hardships into a beacon of hope.

To the Veterans and coworkers starting their own cancer battles, Joy has a message: “You don’t have to do this alone. There’s a whole community here, ready to fight with you, to hold you up. Lean on them. I learned that strength isn’t about pretending to be invincible—it’s about allowing others to carry you when you can’t.”

As she tells her story, Joy’s face shines with resilience, the light of someone who has looked death in the eyes twice and found her way back. “I’m here today because of the power of love and connection,” she says. “Together, we can face anything. Together, we can survive.”