Where Compassion Meets Expertise
Throughout Chattanooga, inspiring stories of resilience unfold every day as patients and healthcare teams work together to achieve remarkable outcomes. Thanks to the dedication, compassion, and expertise of the region’s medical professionals, and the determination of the people they serve, many are overcoming health challenges and returning to the lives they love. Read on as four Chattanoogans share their stories of impact and the care that helped them move forward.
Shot on Location at Kinley Chattanooga
Demetria (Dee) Jordan
In 2023, Demetria (Dee) Jordan would never have labeled herself as a myelofibrosis survivor. In fact, she and her business were thriving, until extreme fatigue, stomach pains, and dizziness required her to visit her local walk-in clinic.
“The clinic ran blood work and contacted me the next day, advising me to go to the emergency room immediately,” Jordan recalls. “All of my blood levels were dangerously low, and the doctor told me she didn’t know how I was still functioning.”
At the ER, additional bloodwork showed signs of cancer, and a bone biopsy confirmed her diagnosis of myelofibrosis, a rare blood cancer. “That moment changed everything,” she says. “What began as symptoms I thought I could push through became a life-altering diagnosis.”
That May, Jordan began ongoing blood transfusions at CHI Memorial – now CommonSpirit – Memorial Hospital – where her care team recommended a bone marrow transplant. She was referred to Dr. William Donnellan at Tennessee Oncology, and a treatment plan was decided. “From the beginning, Dr. Donnellan acted quickly,” she says. “While I was initially in the hospital, he immediately placed me on the national donor registry list and began helping me understand my diagnosis. He also moved quickly to get me an appointment with a transplant specialist in Nashville, where he previously worked, so that I could begin the next phase of care.”
Jordan says having access to expert, high-quality care close to home meant everything to her and her family. “I had confidence knowing that Dr. Donnellan had previously worked with my transplant specialist. Because of his experience and expertise, I trusted his ability – and their highly capable staff of nurses and doctors – to help manage my care locally and understand the complexities that come with having a bone marrow transplant.”
Today, Jordan’s health continues to improve, and she says she couldn’t have done it without the physical, emotional, and spiritual support of her family and community; especially during the process of finding a marrow donor. “I learned that African Americans account for the lowest percentage on the national donor registry,” she explains. “This increased the difficulty of finding a match. But, by the grace of God, a donor was located within two and a half months, and I do not take that lightly.”
For this reason, she chooses to live every day with purpose, highlighting the importance of blood cancer awareness. “Sharing my story is bigger than me,” she finishes. “Many people have never heard of myelofibrosis until it touches their life or someone they love. My hope is that I bring awareness, encouragement, and hope to someone else who may be walking through their own difficult diagnosis.”
Abby Wilson
As a new mother and breast cancer survivor, Abby Wilson says her journey of navigating pregnancy alongside a cancer diagnosis has inspired her to be “the brightest light” she can possibly be.
After finding a lump at 39 weeks pregnant, Wilson consulted her OBGYN, Dr. Lauren Thomas, at Galen Obstetrics & Gynecology Ridgeside. An ultrasound, followed by a biopsy, revealed a HER2-positive tumor with very low hormone receptor expression. Due to the severity of the results, Wilson had to be induced so her care team could begin treatment.
“I found out on a Wednesday, was induced on a Sunday, and had my baby on a Tuesday,” Wilson recalls. “The following Tuesday, I met with Tennessee Oncology East for the first time to get a plan in place, while holding my 7-day-old baby in my arms.”
Four weeks after giving birth, Wilson began six rounds of TCHP chemo, with treatments occurring every three weeks. She received her last chemo treatment earlier this year in March, and Wilson says she will never forget ringing the bell to announce she had completed her treatments: but the good news didn’t stop there.
Six weeks later, during Wilson’s double mastectomy and reconstruction at CommonSpirit – Memorial
Hospital, her doctor, Dr. Betsy J. Washburn, found no evidence of viable cancer cells in her lymph nodes and reported a complete response on her final pathology report. The results and care that Wilson received from Dr. Washburn still deeply impact her.
“I truly don’t know what I would have done if I never met Dr. Washburn – I tear up even thinking about it,” Wilson says. “She wasn’t even taking new patients, but she heard my story and said without hesitation, ‘I need to see her!’ She made me feel seen and heard at every appointment and explained things in a way I could understand.”
As Wilson prepares to complete her last few rounds of PHESGO shots in December, and a final procedure at Erlanger Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery later this year, she is grateful that Chattanooga’s medical experts have allowed her to heal and be a mother to her daughter. Sharing her journey and faith online, Wilson also continues to impact and be impacted by thousands of followers. She hopes her story encourages others who are navigating difficult diagnoses.
“Don’t let yourself get overwhelmed by the entire road ahead,” she advises. “Some days will be incredibly hard, and that’s okay. Give yourself permission to feel the emotions that come with it. Lean on the people who love you, and your faith, and remember that you are stronger than you think.”
Steffron James
Nearly two years after stage four cancer impacted his ability to walk, Steffron James is cancer free and saying, “Because of Siskin, I can!”
“Siskin Hospital for Physical Rehabilitation gave my wife and I the best support possible when I was faced with having to relearn basic life skills due to a stage four cancer diagnosis and spinal surgery,” he says. “I was treated with dignity and respect throughout, and never did I feel like just another patient.”
While returning from a mission trip to Africa in 2024, James felt excruciating pain in his upper back and chest, preventing him from walking. “This was frightening, not knowing what was happening and being unprepared in a foreign country,” he recalls. “My wife, Sheryl, had to secure wheelchair services, handle our luggage, and seek emergency assistance for the remainder of our trip.”
Back in Chattanooga, the Chattanooga VA Clinic staff transported James to Erlanger for an MRI that revealed a cancerous mass had damaged the third vertebra of his spine – requiring emergency surgery. Soon afterwards, he began chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and outpatient physical therapy.
Relearning to walk was difficult, as the chemo left him feeling weak, but Sheryl and the Siskin staff met him with the same level of determination that he felt.
“Leaning on my faith, family, and village, I chose to live and fight!” he says. “The first time I was able to take two steps, I was celebrated by my caregivers as if I had completed the Boston Marathon. Then, when I graduated from physical therapy, the entire support staff came out cheering.”
However, James’ health challenges weren’t over yet. One year after the surgery, he experienced a stroke and was hospitalized. He had to relearn to walk a second time, with the additional need for speech therapy. After James’ first experience, he knew he had to choose Siskin.
“They truly wanted me to reach the best quality of life possible,” he says. “Every medical team on my journey was amazing – from the VA staff and Erlanger’s oncology team and neurologists to the Siskin physical therapists. I must also give a special thanks to Dr. Ashley Fedusenko in Palliative Care. Her compassion, resourcefulness, and follow-through were noteworthy. Through surgery, radiation, chemo, and outpatient therapy, I received exceptional care.”
Today, James is well on his way to the best version of himself. His determination continues to guide his enjoyment of life, and he advises other patients to follow suit: “We can’t control much of what happens to us, but we can control the attitude we present when others are trying to help us get better. Work with them and help them help you by giving them a great attitude and the best version of you.”
Chrissy Mincy
During her first year of law school, Chrissy Mincy was diagnosed with a brain tumor. She remembers Erlanger Neurosurgery handling her situation with such professionalism and expertise that all of her fears were calmed and the surgery happened in a matter of days. Nearly 19 years later, Mincy admits that her experience with Dr. Daniel Kueter went so well that she often forgets that the diagnosis is a part of her story.
“I’m so lucky and grateful that there were no lasting health impacts, and I usually forget that this even happened,” she explains. “What has stayed with me is what I learned about watching Dr. Kueter work. He read the room and spoke to each person there on the level that they needed, so no one left confused or talked down to. He made an unimaginable thing real to a terrified 24-year-old, and he did it in about 30 seconds without a single scary word.”
After experiencing headaches for a year, including a 13-hour headache one Thursday, Mincy decided to visit the emergency room. She was referred to Dr. Kueter after her CT scan results revealed a mass, and she was sent for an MRI. Dr. Kueter personally called her that Friday to explain her results and schedule a pre-surgery consult for the following Monday, along with a surgery date later the same week.
Mincy says she and her parents arrived at the consult with a multitude of questions, all of which he answered “patiently, confidently, and without a hint of condescension.” His respect for her and her family is something she aims to apply to her law practice today.
“As a young professional in training myself, seeing him operate under high stakes the way he did showed me that professionalism in action is competence, communication, and respect,” she says. “And that’s a standard I’ve thought about often in the years since.”
From diagnosis to surgery to healing, Mincy says her family and friends were there every step of the way – keeping her company, delivering care packages, helping her with everyday responsibilities, and even paying for a post-surgery recovery trip.
“My people carried me, and they met me with so much care and grace,” she says.
Now 18 years post-surgery with no recurrence expected, Mincy hopes that her story inspires others facing their own diagnosis to advocate for themselves and not be afraid to ask questions. She finishes, “The right doctor will welcome your questions and not make you feel small for asking them. Also, lean on your people and let them show up for you.”
Meet the Author
Abby Callahan, BA
Abby Callahan is a graduate of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UTC), where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in English with a minor in Spanish and the distinction of Cum Laude. She also graduated Magna Cum Laude from Chattanooga State Community College, earning honors through the Global Scholars Honors Program. Prior to joining CMC Media & Marketing Group as editor/digital content specialist, Abby successfully fulfilled roles in marketing and event planning, as well as strategic communications and storytelling for a wide variety of initiatives. Today, Abby leads ideation, conceptualization, and development of numerous health, wellness, business, sports, and lifestyle articles published in print and online for HealthScope®, CityScope®, and Choose Chattanooga® magazines – premier publications serving S.E. Tennessee and North Georgia.
