Near the bodies of water on Padre Island, you'll often find Linda Garret soaking up the sun, sitting in her favorite chair just outside her home — taking in the beauty of nature.
Garret is 77 years old. She's a former art director who moved to the Coastal Bend with her husband to enjoy retirement. They like to have fun, travel and admire art.
For most of her life, she never faced any major health issues. But in 2023 that changed. She went in for her routine mammogram — a routine she hasn't missed since she was 40 years old.
"They said, oh, we need to have another one. Oh, well, and we also need a biopsy. So they did a biopsy and they called me that night and said, I'm sorry, it's breast cancer," Garret said.
After getting the news, Garret didn't wait. She had surgery the same week she was diagnosed with stage 1 breast cancer.
"It was minor surgery because it was small. And then a month later, I started having radiation," Garret said.
She says breast cancer doesn't run in the family, and her journey happened fast.
"I guess it was six weeks, yeah, I think it was. And then after that, I just do hormones and I do infusions every six months. And I feel great," Garret said.
According to the American Cancer Society, about 1 in 8 women in the U.S. will be diagnosed with invasive breast cancer. In 2025 alone, more than 316,000 new cases are expected.
That's why Garret says mammograms matter, and early detection can save lives.
"It takes like 15 minutes, it doesn't hurt at all. And then if they see anything, they'll tell you they want another one," Garret said.
Now Garret is using her voice to spread awareness and hope, setting a reminder that breast cancer victims are never alone.
"Don't put it off, I mean lets do this.. you want to live your life," Garret said.
Garret will be attending the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk in Corpus Christi this month. She encourages the public to attend and support American Cancer Society research. The walk will happen October 25 at Bayfront Park with check in starting at 9:30 a.m. and the walk starting at 11 a.m. For more info, go here.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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