The Rogersville Review

CHURCH HILL — Nancy Lawson knows how fragile life is and her body has become as fragile in recent months. A breast cancer survivor for six years, Nancy was told by her physician a year ago that fluid in her lungs indicated the return of cancer.

She chose not to undergo chemotherapy this time. She decided, instead, to continue her radio programs in Church Hill and Bristol once a week. She also wanted to continue distributing gift bags with small, stuffed bears and a pamphlet she wrote about “What Cancer Can’t Do.”

“I want to do this as long as I am physically able to,” she said earlier this year. She is no longer able to maintain the radio programs, and “bear hunting” at Walgreens, Dollar General and Dollar Tree taxes her body too much these days. Yet her spirit remains insatiable to spread the word about what God has done for her and how blessed she has been to have so many doors open for her to minister to others facing cancer or other life-threatening diseases.

She said her son, Danny Lawson, will take up bear hunting now and continue her ministry.

“I stand in awe of who she is and what she has accomplished,” said State Senator Micheal Williams after he presented Nancy with a Senate Joint Resolution to recognize and honor her for her breast cancer awareness ministry. “She’s extraordinary,” he said.

The lengthy resolution notes, “Whereas possessed of an indomitable spirit and stalwart determination, Nancy Lawson further encourages people affected by cancer through her radio programs... known as The Encourager.”

And this past weekend she received encouragement from her daughters, Cheri Thompson of Knoxville and Sharon Sollie of Rogersville, Ala., as well as brother Robbie Leonard of Washington, D.C., when they created a breast cancer awareness garden for her. “We wanted to do something special for her and to let her know how important she is to us,” said Cheri. Since Nancy loves flowers so much, the family thought the best way they could express their love for her was to create a garden using the ‘pink’ cancer ribbon, which has symbolized her ministry.

“I just love it,” Nancy beamed. “It is so beautiful.”

“We turned the angel in such a way that it faces her bedroom window. And we painted the sash around the angel’s robe pink, along with the border around the garden and the [solar] light panels. It is really beautiful at night.”

“I’ve been blessed,” said Nancy of her family and friends. “Everyone has been so good to me.”

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