Jamie Meche was only 25 years old when she was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer.
She had two kids and a baby on the way.
“There was a couple of rough periods because I had my breasts removed he was 6, 7 months old and I couldn’t hold him for like six weeks,” Meche recalls.
Jayna Barnhill was 41 years old when she was diagnosed with stage 1 breast cancer.
She underwent surgery a month later.
“It was found on a mammogram, a routine mammogram every woman over 40 should take,” Barnhill says.
Both ladies met at a pink ribbon divas support group in Lafayette for young breast cancer survivors.
That’s also where they met their friend Rachel.
“She’s just the fiercest person, every diagnosis that came her way, every treatment that came her way, she tackled it and she did the best she could,” Barnhill says.
Rachel recruited them back in March for a Susan G. Komen 3-day 60-mile walk.
“We all love her so much that it’s like you know who wouldn’t want to experience this type of fundraiser with her at our side,” Meche says.
However, Rachel wouldn’t make it to the race.
“We raised our money and we did everything we’re supposed to and Rachel, unfortunately, passed away on August 22 so we are doing this for her in honor of her and we love her and we miss her terribly, Barnhill says.
Barnhill, Meche and their fellow 55-member team traveled to Dallas, to walk the 60-mile trek, in their friend’s memory.
“We are walking in her honor but I have no doubt my mind that she’ll be there every step of the way,” Meche says.
Barnhill and Meche are survivors now.
They’ve beaten breast cancer.
And they say they’ll continue to raise awareness in honor of Rachel until doctors can find a cure.
“You can’t let the world stop because of cancer because we are going to find a cure and we are going to beat this,” says Barnhill
On Friday, Meche and Barnhill completed the first 20 miles of the walk
They say the walk was very long and difficult, but they say the presence of their friend Rachel with them.
