Suwanee’s Pink Warriors

When the dreaded “C” word shook the City of Sunwaee family at its core, two Pink Warriors and a community around them rose up…

By: Rachel Pillow

October is national breast cancer awareness month. Each year over 290,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer. Last year, these statistics became more personal for the city of Suwanee staff (a team that is more like a family than coworkers) when two of their own were diagnosed with breast cancer…

In August of 2014, Tammy Hiler, City of Suwanee’s Public Works Administrative Assistant, went in for her yearly mammogram: an annual routine that seemed nothing out of the ordinary. When she was called back to the hospital for a second and then a third time to go over the results, she said, “I was still oblivious at that point. Nothing was hurting, I didn’t find a lump – the possibility of cancer just never crossed my mind.”

Hiler’s world was turned upside down that day. “The doctor sat me down and as soon as I heard the word cancer, I didn’t even hear anything else she said after that…I was just scared to death,” she confessed. Hiler has worked at the City of Suwanee for 13 years, and when her closest friends and colleagues heard the news, they built a fortress of support around her. “Immediately the women here were like, ‘we’re going to feed you, we’ll take you to and from treatments…they helped me so much,” she said.

One of those friends was City of Suwanee’s Event Coordinator, Amy Doherty, who has worked by Hiler’s side (literally – their offices are within arms reach of each other) for ten years.

Just a few short months later, the tight-knit group behind City Hall walls was hit with another emotional bomb. Amy Doherty was diagnosed with breast cancer in December of 2014. As you can imagine, this news brought even more tears, questions, pleas toward God, and heartache for a family of coworkers and a community who holds them close.

If you have ever enjoyed one of Suwanee’s beloved events in Town Center Park, such as Suwanee Fest or August Concert, then you have Amy Doherty and Tammy Hiler to thank. Doherty is the face of Suwanee events and the engine that keeps them running smoothly. Often faced with the unpredictable chaos that event management tends to bring, Doherty has mastered the art of troubleshooting, tackling the issues at hand, keeping visitors smiling, and making sure the festivals never miss a beat. And, “Tammy is THE girl of Public Works, the only girl and the go-to girl!” said Doherty. Hiler and her team ensure that our parks, streets, grounds, water systems, sidewalks and Suwanee-favorite features such as the Town Center Fountain, are at optimal performance, efficient and ready for the community to enjoy.

When Hiler was first diagnosed she was very private, sharing the news only with coworkers and a few close friends. “I felt like I caught something that was embarrassing. I mean, I know it isn’t but that’s just how I felt at the time,” she said. Figuring out when and how to tell her son was the hardest part, the single mother shared. Her son had just been accepted to play football at Bethune-Cookman University. “I was so proud of him and didn’t want this news to make him come home and quit,” she said. With encouragement from friends and a counselor, Hiler finally told her son, but not until after her first surgery. At that point, her strength and determination to get through it, proved more of an inspiration for him – at school and on the football field – than it did a deterrent. He posted photos of his mother on Facebook with the caption “my hero” and rallied his teammates to wear pink in her honor. Once Hiler began sharing her journey on social media and with the general public, her whole demeanor began to change. “It truly lifted my spirits to see the outpour of support and prayers,” she said.

Before Doherty was diagnosed she had watched this emotional transformation occur in Hiler, which made her more apt to publicly share her story once she and her family received the news. What she didn’t expect though, was how different their cancer types actually were and the subsequent treatment options. “I never knew there could be so many different types. To me, breast cancer was breast cancer, it was all the same in my mind,” Doherty said.

Doherty had watched Hiler get surgery within 3 weeks of her diagnosis, followed by 8 rounds of chemotherapy and hormone therapy, and therefore was expecting a similar treatment plan. She was shocked to learn that her treatment involved 16 rounds of chemotherapy without hormone therapy, followed by surgery nearly 7 months later. A self-proclaimed “non-touchy” person who typically avoids hugs, Doherty is very appreciative of the love that has been poured upon her. “It’s so weird that the treatment options are so different per person, however, when I’m in the grocery store and somebody wants to hug me because they see that I have no hair – they’re hugging me to show their support. They don’t ask anything about what type of cancer I have – it’s just the sisterhood of people powering through.”

Both Doherty and Hiler have not let cancer overrule their lives. And it seems like their friends and family have not either. The interview was interrupted with the ding of a text from Doherty’s 17-year old daughter who was seemingly frustrated and dishing the news of some drama to her mom, who responded with, “Take a deep breath and we’ll talk about it when I get home.” In the grand scheme of things, her three children definitely realize that their everyday issues are minor compared to what their mother is going through. But, she and her husband want their lives to remain as normal as possible and they’ve made sure, to the best of their abilities, to not let cancer stand in the way of that.

Both Doherty and Hiler were recently proclaimed “cancer-free” – which is incredible news, but their journey is not yet over, and that includes continuing to share their story and inspire others through it. They want to help other women or families going through similar situations. “I don’t mind people asking questions. When they ask, especially women, I feel like I’m helping them,” Hiler said. “People who feel like they have to do this alone are at a huge disadvantage. It takes a lot of people’s support to get through this,” Doherty added.

On July 22, 2015, Hiler shared on Facebook, “Yesterday was my last surgery on this long journey of getting rid of the big “C”…. I am truly blessed to be here and don’t know if I could have made through without my family, friends and all the prayers that’s been coming my way. So this post is to thank you all for being there for me physically, spirituality, and emotionally. God is Good!!!”

One day later, on July 23, 2015, Amy’s husband, Dan Doherty wrote on Facebook, “Guess who is out of the hospital?!! Guess who has GREAT news to share?!! Amy’s final pathology shows she is completely free of any cancer cells!!! Even though the hardest part is behind her, she still has a challenging recovery at home over the next several weeks. We will slowly but surely get to a new place in the next several weeks, a cancer-free place. When we look back in the mirror at where we have been we will be thankful to God, and His plan for each one of us. We will also be thankful for each one of you for your concern, thoughts, prayers, generosity and so much more. So today we start down a new path, still open to where He may lead us. The journey will be full of faith, trust, hope, love, and God willing “GOOD HEALTH.” It’s going to be GREAT!!

These women, who have affectionately dubbed each other “bosom buddies,” have become icons of inspiration, hope and determination in the community of Suwanee – they are our Pink Warriors – and they will NOT let cancer win this fight!