Gift Of Life Recipient 2007

To know Michelle Paul is to know a woman of great courage and perseverance.  She is an amazing woman who has been battling breast cancer for nearly 11 years.  She was first diagnosed in November of 1996 at the age of 37 with stage four breast cancer.  After her diagnosis she had a mastectomy followed by chemotherapy and radiation treatments.

In June of 1997 the cancer went in to remission until July of 2001, when a cancerous tumor was found in her throat near the thyroid.  For a period of two years many types of chemotherapy drugs were used to battle this reoccurrence.  The tumor would respond and shrink for a while and then grow again.  A combination of chemotherapy and radiation finally yielded promising results leading to remission for about a year.

In 2004 Michelle started her most recent battle with another reoccurrence of the breast cancer that hasn’t subsided since.  Michelle underwent chemotherapy treatments for about 18 months and then learned in spring of 2006 that the cancer had metastasized.  Tumors had spread to her right hipbone, several ribs, liver, one lung, and the lining of the spine, and most recently a slab of tumors on her brain. Throughout the last several years she has received constant chemotherapy treatments with only a small break for brain radiation late last fall.  However, none of these treatments have lead to remission.

Michelle is still receiving chemotherapy treatments about every three weeks when she is able.  Her blood counts have been low, resulting in a recent blood transfusion, and her system is working very hard to battle the cancer. 

Through this long battle Michelle has managed to work full time at a job she truly loved in the kitchen at the Plymouth High School, missing very little work until January of this year when she had to stop working due to the cancer.  Michelle is a great mother to her son and daughter, is a devoted wife, volunteers for the SHARE program in Plymouth, and is a dedicated member of her church volunteering for many church events and reaching out to those in need.  In addition she is a very special sister and aunt that enjoys spending time with family.  Helping those around her and giving from the heart is her distinctive gift! 

Lately Michelle, now 47, has had to slow down both at home and in the community due to her physical health.  The one thing that never changes about Michelle is her smile and sunny disposition that can light up a room.  She is an amazing woman!