C ourageous M om — AMANDA STEVENS
Cancer Couldn’t Take The Cowgirl Off
The Horse
BY MELISSA MOORMAN
A
“It was one of the best nights of my life. It was very
emotional and special,” she said. Amanda returned to the
cutting competition in 2015 to compete a second time.
She said she is a different person now, after her
diagnosis, treatment and positive outcome as a cancer
survivor. She said the biggest change is in how she views
every day.
“I am grateful for every moment now,” she said. How
precious every moment is! I’m so grateful that I can be
here to raise my children. It’s a gift to be able to appreci-
ate how precious life is.”
manda Stevens found the lump that would change
her life while breastfeeding her 5-month-old daugh-
ter, Violet, in February of 2014. After being diagnosed
with breast cancer, the mother of two needed an echo-
cardiogram to begin the chemotherapy treatments that
would ultimately save her life, but was having difficulties
with her insurance company getting the necessary test
scheduled. Her doctor at the Center for Cancer and Blood
Disorders suggested she call Careity Foundation to see if
they could help.
Enter Careity Foundation co-founder Lyn Walsh. Not
only did Careity help her get the test scheduled, the foun-
dation paid for it, and for her first round of chemotherapy
to battle the aggressive triple-negative breast cancer
Amanda had been diagnosed with.
She said of Careity: “They were so supportive and
brought me such peace of mind at such a scary time.
They have become wonderfully supportive and great
friends to myself and family. I can’t express how grateful I
am. At my time of need they were there for me.”
She completed 16 rounds of chemotherapy over a
6-month period, then had a double mastectomy. Her
treatment also included 33 rounds of radiation. Multiple
surgeries followed including a hysterectomy, reconstruc-
tion and repair from a deep-vein thrombosis (DVT) clot.
“It was quite a journey over the last three years,” she
said. Happily, on Oct. 6, 2014, doctors declared her
cancer-free. Throughout her treatment, this cowgirl turned
to her family and her horses for solace.
Amanda and her husband Steve own Stevens Natural
Horsemanship in Weatherford and have for the past
eight years trained horses, given horse clinics and taught
horsemanship to countless riders. Steve was a member
of the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association for 12
years and competed as a saddle bronc rider. Even while
reeling from the worst of her chemotherapy treatments,
Amanda rode horses every day, sometimes for as little as
5 minutes, she said.
“The horses were a huge part of my recovery. Horses
were an escape for me. It made me feel stronger and gave
me peace,” noted Stevens.
Only six weeks after her double mastectomy she was
on her horse trying something for the first time at the
Careity Foundation Celebrity Cutting Event, held each
year as part of the National Cutting Horse Association’s
Futurity in December. She trained for a few weeks with
Rick and Shelly Mowery before competing.
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